The Green caldron - University Library

18 The Green Caldron
Hemingway depicts Santiago as a simple, basic personality, a man with a
great humility. In Santiago's every action, before and after his struggle with
the marlin, there is an aura of simplicity, humility and child-like innocence.
He delights in the wonders of nature and in the hard, but fascinating life
of the sea. His outlook on life is also simple. He lives a day-to-day existence,
never concerning himself with the problems of yesterday or tomorrow. "He
was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility [but] he knew
it was not a disgrace, and it carried no loss of true pride." His simplicity
and humility become apparent in his actions and speeches. His train of
thought (the narrative of the book) strengthens the reader's awareness of
his piety. His terse but capable meeting of the emergencies that arise and
his refusal to allow anything to disturb his calm outlook on life also convey
an impression of simple integrity.
Despite Santiago's humility, however, he is still an extremely proud man.
In one respect his pride is not arrogant or self-assertive, but is the personal
pride of every man who establishes for himself certain principles and adheres
to them. However, he also has a somewhat conceited pride in his strength,
which he has not lost in his old age, and in his cleverness and calmness in
handling the marlin. "They called him The Champion .... He decided that
he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough .
. ." Santiago recalls the
"hand game with the great negro from Cienfuegos who was the strongest
man on the docks," and his pride becomes more obvious to the reader. That
he is proud is even more obvious in the following lines. "I hate a cramp ....
It is humiliating before others to have a diarrhea . . . but a cramp . , . humili-
ates oneself especially when one is alone." He is "humiliated" by the failure of
his body when he needs its strength. "I wish I could show him what sort
of a man I am." Santiago in these lines wishes to show the fish that he is
a strong man so that the fish will know he is beaten by Santiago's "will . . .
and intelligence." When he remembers the cramp, however, he changes his
mind. "But then he would see the cramped hand. Let him think I am more
man than I am. . . ." "I told the boy I was a strong old man. Now ... I
must prove it." In this short quotation lies the whole reason for the fight
with the marlin. He feels that he must prove himself to the boy, to the other
fisherman, but, most of all, to himself. Behind this drive is his pride, which
he feels he will lose if the fish gets the better of him.
When Santiago has finally "beaten" the fish and is taking him home, the
sharks, attracted by the blood in the water, attack the beautiful marlin and
completely devour it. Wlien he finally reaches his tiny village harbor, there
is nothing left of the great fish except a huge skeleton which proves that he
has caught the fish. The old man has showed the boy that he is still a good
man and he has proved it to himself, but there is very little pride in it for
him. There is only a feeling of bitter defeat.