How Is Santiago Defeated

Destroy is defined by Merriam-Webster as “to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of.” Defeat is defined as “to win victory over someone or something”. Though they have two different meanings, they are often mistaken as being the same thing. Santiago, the protagonist of Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, often shows how “a man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway 103). Throughout this essay, the author will show how Santiago’s characteristics, the obstacles he faces, and his success’ make him a man that can be destroyed but not defeated. Santiago's characteristics are some of what makes him such a unique character. He constantly is a positive person, no matter the situation. After going “eighty-four days” without catching a fish, this would discourage most everyone, but not Santiago (Hemingway 9). He remains positive and goes out to sea anyways. This, in turn, becomes a good choice which wouldn’t have been made, had he not been

One of these is catching and killing the marlin. After killing the marlin, he feels the need to defend himself. He says, “Besides, he thought, everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive” (Hemingway ___). He says this because even though he was successful in his goal and undefeated -- he was still destroyed from his fight with the giant fish. Another success that proves that a man can be destroyed but not defeated is when Santiago encounters the sharks that try and take his marlin. After their attack, there is only “(a little marlin left) I dont have the quote but am working on it” (Hemingway ___). While he succeeded in beating away the sharks, he was not as successful with keeping his fish. He was destroyed by the toll the sharks took on him but was not defeated by them. He even told Manolo that they beat him. But he could never be