to have someone to talk to instead of speaking only to himself and to

the sea”.
Similarly, when Santiago sees flying fish in the sea he regards
them as his “principal friends in the ocean”. And when he sees a flight
of wild ducks, the old man thinks: “No man was ever alone on the
sea”. This shows the continuation of the theme of “No man is an
Iland”.
This feeling is further reinforced when the sharks fall upon the
fish and tear it to pieces. The oldman feels unbearable pain when he
says:
I should not have gone out so far, fish, he said. Neither for you
nor for me. Im sorry fish (110).
And, in the course of his introspection, Santiago realizes:
You violated your luck when you went too far outside (117).
His suspicion now becomes confirmed tha his misfortune is due
to his going” far out”, “beyond all people in the world, where the marlin
had rightfully chosen to be beyond all snares and traps and
treacheries”.
This human solidarity and interdependence gives meaning and
adds purpose to the otherwise existential struggle in life. Previously,
the earlier protagonists could not see beyond themselves and,
therefore, could not experience the larger life which the later
protagonists get plentifully. In spite of all their misfortunes and
tragedy, these later characters could still maintain a positive, highly
affirmative view of life. Santiago, after the terrible ordeals on the sea,
still could say, “I live in a good town” ; Robert Jordan too has no regret
for all the misfortune and tragedy that befall him; Cantwell, on the
threshold of death, still considers himself a “lucky son of a bitch”
Santiago expresses this affirmative attitude thus:
“But man is not made for defeat," he said. “A man can be destroyed
but not defeated”.
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