explain the role of santiago's religious beliefs

Santiago's religious beliefs are evident in the pictures that hang on his wall. We also see his spirituality in the way he questions the purpose of the delicate sea swallows in the same world as the tougher, stronger sea birds that surround him. Santiago tells God himself that he isn't a religious man, and yet, he follows his declarations with a "Hail Mary" and "Our Father." He prays for God to give him a fish, and he makes a pilgrimage if he catches one. Many of Santiago's prayers are rote, memorized and used repetitively.....