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The Old Man and the Sea shows the unique relationship between man and nature, characterized by a sublime struggle and bitter suffering, but also by the most sincere mutual worship. At the very beginning of the novel, Santiago in his misery and poverty seems like a man defeated by life. However, Hemingway's heroes are persistent and courageous fighters who never give up.

In the fight with the fish, Santiago used weapons typical of man: intelligence, courage, life experience, competitive persistence. While fish, as a natural element, uses only strength and the drive for survival. In this struggle between man and nature, man's spiritual strength and humanity come to the fore. Although the fight with the giant swordfish sometimes brings him to the edge of endurance, the old man never treats the big fish with hatred. She is an opponent worthy of respect for him. Although old Santiago lost his fish, gnawed to a skeleton by the sharks, he is still the moral victor in the end. He overcame, in fact overcame his own indignation at the misfortune that attended him, his age and his lack of strength. A real man can never be defeated in a total sense.

Although The Old Man and the Sea is not a symbolist work, it contains a number of details that can be interpreted as symbols, and the most interesting are allusions to Jesus Christ and his passion.