Every morning Manolin would wake up and get Santiago coffee. This is a symbol of friendship because Santiago and Manolin talked about the day ahead over coffee and breakfast.
This fish represents Santiago's determination because despite being called Salao, the worst form of unlucky, Santiago beat the odds by spending three days at sea and returning with a fish over 18 feet.
Santiago's boat is a symbol of endurance. Santiago's boat has been through it all, swarms of sharks, an 18 foot fish, a swordfish, and many other things.
Santiago's hands are symbols of strength. His hands are symbols of strength because throughout Santiago's many years of fishing, he has developed deep creases, from holding the fishing lines.
The lions from Santiago's dreams and early adulthood represent a sense of fear. The lions represent fear because they can easily kill. They might also represent fear because Santiago was called salao, which could mean that he can't catch more fish.