the referee

The referee appears only within Santiago's recollection of a legendary hand game, or arm-wrestling match, that took place in a tavern in Casablanca. In this memory, Santiago, then known as Santiago El Campeon, faced the great negro from Cienfuegos, who was considered the strongest man on the docks. The referee was a figure who presided over this contest of strength, a match that lasted one day and one night, with the two men's elbows on a chalk line on the table and their forearms straight up, hands gripped tight. The referee's role was to ensure the rules were followed, and after the first eight hours, the referees were changed every four hours so they could sleep. This detail underscores the grueling, almost ritualistic nature of the contest, which drew bettors who came and went under the kerosene lights, sitting on high chairs against the bright blue wooden walls. The referee's presence lent officialdom to a primal test of will, where blood came out from under the fingernails of both men's hands, and the odds changed back and forth all night. At daylight, when the bettors were asking for a draw because they had to go to work loading sacks of sugar or at the Havana Coal Company, the referee was shaking his head, refusing to call it. It was at that moment that Santiago unleashed his effort and forced the negro's hand down onto the wood, winning the match and the title of champion. The referee's decision not to call a draw allowed Santiago to finish the contest before anyone had to go to work, cementing his victory. This memory is not merely a nostalgic anecdote; it is a crucial part of Santiago's identity. He recalls it while alone at sea, fighting the marlin, to give himself more confidence. The referee represents the external validation of his strength, a time when his will was recognized and celebrated. The memory also reveals Santiago's philosophy: he decided he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough, but he also chose to stop competing because it was bad for his right hand for fishing. This decision shows his prioritization of his craft over personal glory. The referee, as a figure of authority and fairness, contrasts with the lawless, brutal world of the sea, where Santiago must rely on his own judgment and endurance without any external arbiter. The referee's role in the arm-wrestling match also highlights the theme of proving oneself. Santiago's victory was not just physical; it was a triumph of will over a younger, stronger opponent. The referee's presence made the contest official, and his refusal to call a draw allowed Santiago to demonstrate his superiority. This memory fuels Santiago's determination during his battle with the marlin, as he thinks, "I must show him what a man can do and what a man endures." The referee, though a minor figure, is a symbol of the structured, rule-bound world of human competition, a world Santiago has left behind for the solitary, unpredictable struggle of the sea. The memory of the referee and the match also serves as a counterpoint to Santiago's current state. In the present, he is an old man with scarred hands, considered salao, the worst form of unlucky. The referee's memory reminds him that he was once a champion, that he has proven his strength before, and that he can do so again. This is not just about physical strength; it is about the power of the will. The referee's role in the match—ensuring fairness, changing shifts, and ultimately allowing the contest to reach its conclusion—mirrors the internal referee Santiago must become for himself at sea. He must judge his own actions, decide when to rest, when to push, and when to endure. The referee, therefore, is not just a character from the past but a part of Santiago's internal landscape, a symbol of the discipline and resolve that define his character. The memory of the referee also connects to Santiago's broader worldview. He thinks about the great DiMaggio, who plays perfectly even with the pain of a bone spur, and he wonders if DiMaggio would have stayed with the fish as long as he has. The referee, like DiMaggio, represents a standard of excellence and endurance. Santiago's recollection of the match is a way of measuring himself against that standard, of reminding himself that he has the capacity to endure and to win. The referee's presence in the memory is a testament to the fact that Santiago's past victories were witnessed and validated, giving him a reservoir of confidence to draw upon when he is alone and unseen. In the end, when Santiago returns to the harbor with only the marlin's skeleton, the referee is absent. There is no one to validate his struggle, no official to declare him the winner. The tourists who see the skeleton mistake it for a shark, and the waiter does not explain. Santiago's victory is known only to himself and to the boy, Manolin. The referee, as a figure of public recognition, is gone, but the internal referee—the will that drove him to say, "I'll stay with you until I am dead"—remains. The memory of the referee is thus a key to understanding Santiago's character: he is a man who has proven himself in the structured world of competition and now must prove himself in the unstructured, indifferent world of nature. The referee's role in the arm-wrestling match is a microcosm of the larger struggle Santiago faces: a contest of will against an opponent, with no one to call it a draw, and only the individual's own resolve to see it through to the end.