Is Santiago Still A Capable Fisherman?

The Catch That Changed It All Waking up every single day, have something to prove to yourself can be curse. This curse lingered over Santiago from, “The Old Man and the Sea,” throughout a good portion of the story. Santiago is a very old man who has gone eighty-four days without a single catch. He has quickly become the laughingstock of his small village. This brought up the question of, “Is Santiago still a capable fisherman?” This question is extremely important to the story, and makes Santiago determined to catch a fish. For the fact that he has dedicated his life to this sport, Santiago's motivation is to prove to himself that he is still a capable fisherman. One way in in which the reader can tell that Santiago's motivation is to prove to himself that he is still a capable fisherman, is when he is talking to himself and states, “Fish... I love and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead

“He is too weak, however, and the fish begins to pull the boat farther out to sea. He straps the line to his body to prevent the fish from getting away, but the fish’s strength causes him injury every time it pulls the boat. Despite his pain, Santiago doggedly holds the line for two days as his boat is dragged by the marlin" (Old). This quote is important and truly shows how desperate Santiago is to catching a fish. This is the biggest fish that Santiago has ever hooked, and with this catch, he would be able to regain his title. After a long, hard fought battle, “Santiago eventually wears down the marlin, and on the third day, he kills it with a harpoon" (Old). At this point in the story, Santiago has finally gotten his big catch. He has finally proved to himself that he is capable fisherman, and that being patient, sometimes is one's best