Explain the quote on pg. 26, "It is what a man must do."

Waking up at 4:00 am everyday would really "suck" for most of us. Essentially this is the life of fishermen including old Santiago and the boy. On this morning Santiago "woke, looked out the open door at the moon and unrolled his trousers and put them on." He gently wakes up the boy, who is very tired, and apologises. As they walk into the morning mist, the boy says "It is what a man must do". The very essence of being a man involves fishing. Their lifestyle is more than a gender role, almost sacred, it defines who they are . The sea feeds them and this is their job, what more can a man ask for?