Author(s): Moumita Biswas

Abstract: This paper revisits Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea as an existential hero who faces isolation, meaninglessness, and loss in an uncaring universe. Going beyond the classical interpretations of stoicism or Christian allegory, the paper puts Santiago into an existential context that incorporates the views of Camus and Sartre. The sea is symbolized as the absurd state of human life- vast, indifferent, and unpredictable- and the human quest of meaning amidst unavoidable loss is dramatized, as Santiago struggles alone against the marlin and the sharks. His statement that a man may be destroyed but not defeated is a statement that expresses a philosophy, which is not based on outward achievements but rather on internal determination and conscious decision making. Santiago gives meaning to a world in which there is none by means of suffering, endurance and self-definition. The study claims that the heroism of Santiago is not in his victory over the nature but his resistance to giving up agency when confronting absurdity. In the end, the novel turns out to be deep reflection on existential dignity and moral strength on the part of Hemingway.

Keywords: Existential, Absurd, Isolation, Heroism, Moral Strength

Article Info: Received: 20 Apr 2026; Received in revised form: 14 May 2026; Accepted: 18 May 2026; Available online: 22 May 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.113.28