the man's will

The man's will is the central, driving force of the narrative, embodied in Santiago's unwavering resolution to endure suffering, fight against overwhelming odds, and prove his worth as a fisherman, even when faced with destruction. It is the quality that transforms a seemingly hopeless eighty-four-day run of bad luck into a heroic, tragic, and ultimately transcendent struggle. Santiago's will is not a simple stubbornness but a complex, self-aware commitment to a code of conduct that defines his identity and his relationship with the natural world, a force that he consciously cultivates and tests against the greatest challenges the sea can offer.

Identity and the Code of the Fisherman

Santiago's will is rooted in his identity as a fisherman, a calling he believes he was born for. He tells himself, "That which I was born for," when he hooks the great marlin, framing the coming struggle as the purpose of his existence. This identity is governed by a strict, self-imposed code: he must be exact in his craft, keeping his lines "straighter than anyone did" so that baits wait at the precise depth for any fish. He respects the tradition of not talking unnecessarily at sea, a virtue he has always honored. His will is also expressed through his physical endurance; even after eighty-four days without a fish, his eyes remain "cheerful and undefeated," and his shoulders, though old, are still "strange" and "powerful." He possesses a deep, almost philosophical humility, which he knows "carried no loss of true pride," a pride that fuels his will to prove himself. This pride is not arrogance but a quiet, internal conviction that he must demonstrate what a man can do and endure, as he declares, "I will show him what a man can do and what a man endures."

The Will in Action: The Struggle with the Marlin

The hooking of the marlin initiates the most profound test of Santiago's will. He immediately commits to an open-ended ordeal, vowing, "I'll stay with you until I am dead." This is not a boast but a statement of fact, a recognition that his will is now bound to the fish's. He endures the physical agony of the line cutting into his back and hands, the cramping of his left hand—which he calls a "treachery of one's own body"—and the profound loneliness of being alone and out of sight of land. He consciously uses his will to manage his suffering, telling himself, "I can control mine. But his pain could drive him mad." He also uses his will to sustain his hope and confidence, which he notes "had never gone" and which he actively "freshens" like a rising breeze. When the fish begins to circle, and Santiago feels himself on the verge of collapse, he summons his will for a final, desperate effort: "He took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he put it against the fish's agony." This act of will, a synthesis of physical and spiritual resources, is what finally turns the fish and allows him to drive the harpoon home.

The Will Against Destruction: The Shark Attacks

After killing the marlin, Santiago's will is immediately tested again by the sharks. He faces the first Mako shark "without hope but with resolution and complete malignancy," a pure expression of will divorced from any expectation of success. He articulates the story's most famous principle of will: "But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." This statement is the philosophical core of his will—it is not about winning but about refusing to concede, even when destruction is inevitable. He continues to fight the shovel-nosed sharks with a knife lashed to an oar, then a club, and finally the tiller, even as he knows the fight is useless. He tells himself, "Fight them. I'll fight them until I die." His will persists even after he is beaten, as he acknowledges, "I know I was beaten now finally and without remedy," yet he still sails his skiff home "as well and as intelligently as he could." The will does not guarantee victory, but it guarantees the integrity of the struggle.

The Will and Its Limits: Reflection and Regret

Santiago's will is not a blind, unthinking force. He constantly reflects on its nature and its consequences. He questions whether it was a sin to kill the fish, acknowledging, "You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman." He feels a deep kinship with the marlin, calling it his "brother," and this love complicates his will to kill it. He also recognizes the limits of his will when he admits, "I went out too far," a confession that his ambition and will to prove himself led to the destruction of the very thing he sought to preserve. This regret does not negate his will but adds a layer of tragic wisdom to it. He understands that his will, while magnificent, has a cost. The final expression of his will is not in the fight but in the aftermath, as he sleeps and dreams of the lions on the beach, a return to the source of his strength and a quiet affirmation of the will to continue living and dreaming.