Quote 1
The boy is brought to tears by his admiration for the old man’s determination.
Because the story ends with the lions, and not with the fish, we see that Santiago’s determination is yet unbeaten.
Quote 2
He was asleep when the boy looked in the door in the morning. It was blowing so hard that the drifting-boats would not be going out and the boy had slept late and then come to the old man’s shack as he had come each morning. The boy saw that the old man was breathing and then he saw the old man’s hands and he started to cry. He went out very quietly to go to bring some coffee and all the way down the road he was crying. (5.1)
The old man’s physical pain becomes emotional pain for the boy.
Quote 3
"Who is the greatest manager, really, Luque or Mike Gonzalez?"
"I think they are equal."
"And the best fisherman is you." (1.132-1.134)
The boy believes the old man’s prowess to be as great as that of the baseball players and managers he admires.