Despite all adversity, Santiago remains determined to fulfil what he considers his destiny - to catch a truly big fish. On the 85th day, he sets off alone, far into the gulf. Before too long, he realises that a huge fish has taken the bait, but the old man and fish are at an impasse, with Santiago unable to pull the fish in and the fish unable to escape and ending up pulling the skiff along. Santiago spends 2 days and nights on the boat, catching and eating raw fish and bearing the tension of the line with his body.
This is the ultimate test of endurance for both man and fish. Santiago has a huge respect and even love for this fish, which he calls his brother. He even feels that nobody will be worthy of eating the fish, that it is too noble for most people.
On the third day, the fish finally begins to tire, and with the last of his remaining strength, Santiago finally pulls the fish onto its side and stabs it with a harpoon. The fish is too big for his boat and he has to strap it to the side of his skiff as he heads home.
Tragically, sharks are attracted to the trail of blood left by the marlin and although Santiago manages to repel the first attacks, he eventually succumbs and the marlin is devoured by these brutal creatures. By the time Santiago arrives home, only the skeleton is left. The old man, defeated, heads back to his shack, where he falls into a deep sleep. A group of fishermen on the beach measure the marlin to be 5.5 metres long.
We get the sense that this is it for Santiago, that he has no more fight left, and although he and Manolin promise to fish together again, we are left with the feeling that Santiago has come to the end of his fishing days and the battle between him and the fish has ended in a final stalemate.
The Old Man and the Sea is a work of art, in its dreamlike, evocative account of Santiago's final battle, which he seems to have spent his whole life waiting for.
There was a unanimously positive response to this novella and most of us agreed that it is the best book so far.
Roo
