The question links ageing with a heightened awareness of time. Santiago wonders whether older people wake early because, consciously or not, they want to extend the usable part of each day. The idea is expressed lightly, but it carries an awareness that time becomes more precious when the remaining span of life is shorter.

In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago’s age shapes both his physical limitations and his attitude towards experience. He remains active, disciplined and attentive to the world around him, even as he recognises that he is no longer young. The line therefore connects ageing with an intensified appreciation of daily life rather than simply with decline. More broadly, it suggests that awareness of mortality can alter how people value time, making even a few additional waking hours seem significant.

Full quotation

“Age is my alarm clock,,” the old man said. “Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?”