Man is Not Made for Defeat: Life, Death, and Hemingway

"But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." (Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea)

These words of Santiago, the titular old man in The Old Man and the Sea, are a poignant summary of the theme of the novella, which is about one man's tireless perseverance in the face of loss and defeat. Yet, these words further point to a deeper reality which permeates the story: the eternal purpose of Man. 

There have been numerous readings of the Christian symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea, often noting Santiago's perseverance, ceaseless hope, and Christ-likeness in several instances throughout the story. However, upon reading the novella for the first time, I struggled to understand how anyone could see any remarkable symbolism in the story. I continued to ponder and did a little research, and gradually began to perceive the profound side of Hemingway's famous work. 

While there are several ways to read The Old Man and the Sea through a Christian lens, I intend to focus primarily on the themes of death, resurrection, and Man's redemption. 

Santiago has not caught a fish in 84 days. On the 85th day, he sets sail in hope of catching his biggest fish yet, without the aid of his young friend Manolin. The old man succeeds in catching his fish, but there ensues a long struggle between man and nature as he patiently waits for the right moment to bring the great marlin in and harpoon him to death. Throughout this struggle, I noted with interest Hemingway's portrayal of the respect Santiago shows toward the fish. He admires its beauty and nobility, and is sorry to kill it, but knows his duty and places this above his love for the creature.

The marlin can be seen as a figure of Santiago himself. It is a creature that perseveres until the very end, pulling the boat along and fighting until its last breath. Santiago, likewise, never gives up, even in the face of extreme difficulty. He patiently goes along, slowly pulling the fish closer until he is able to deal the death blow. The old man's killing the fish could be seen as a symbol of his own death, his "death to self."

This "death to self" motif can be taken further. As Santiago begins the long journey home, the marlin is gradually picked apart by sharks that attack throughout the night. The old man's greatest triumph, his great fish, is nothing but a head, tail, and bones by the next morning. He accepts this, however, without complaint. He is saddened, yes, but he understands that this is often the way of nature. 

Here, we can see that there is no improper pride in Santiago, only a humble acceptance of fate. His old self, his young self who still dreams of the lions on the beach, has passed away, along with his youthful pride. The long journey has changed him, just as it has changed the marlin. 

This purgative transformation takes place on the sea, which we could see as a figure of Baptism. Through Baptism, we die to our old selves and are resurrected into the Life of Grace. Just so, Santiago is baptized through the sea into a restful life of humble acceptance. 

"Man is not made for defeat." Because we are baptized into life in Christ, we know that the victory is already won. We are not made for defeat, but for eternal triumph. 

"A man can be destroyed but not defeated." To earthly eyes, Christ was destroyed on the Cross. But He was not defeated. In fact, the Cross was His victory over sin and death. In dying, He gave us life. This is the eternal paradox of the Faith. Likewise, Santiago is destroyed in an earthly sense. His great fish, the source of his income, is eaten by sharks. His body is aging and torn apart by hard work. Yet, he remains undefeated. He will wake up the next day with Manolin by his side, ready to return to sea and teach the boy the ways of the fisherman.

The Old Man and the Sea is full of further rich symbolism and figures, but I will leave it at these thought-provoking observations. Like Santiago, we are called to "die to ourselves" that we may be born again into eternal life in Christ. Like the marlin, our old life must be stripped away by the transformative waters of Baptism. 

Remember, friends. We were not made for defeat. We were made for eternity. 

For a brief summary of the symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea, I found LitCharts to be very helpful: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-old-man-and-the-sea/symbols