Santiago makes his living by fishing, catching the great
fish swimming in the sea. He loves the challenge of locating them, takes pride in having
the strength and skill to be able to land them, enjoys the mental contest of wits
involved in judging when to keep the line taut and when to allow the fish to have extra
line so it can swim and get tired. Santiago is proud of the livelihood he has made for
himself.
At the same time, Santiago identifies with the
strong and free spirit of the fish he catches. He admires the beauty of color and body
form as they swim with great power and efficiency through the water and thrills to see
the strength when they jump out of the water. He loves the fish, even as he strives to
catch it.
Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful,
or a calmer or more noble thing than you,
brother.
Santiago's internal
conflict is the struggle regarding how he feels about catching the great and beautiful
and powerful fish, the largest and most impressive catch of his long fishing career. Is
it his masterpiece of fishing, or his tragedy?
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