The Old Man and the Sea: Hero

Through his determination to catch the marlin, Santiago shows heroism by doing what no one else has done and what no one, except Manolin, thought that he was capable of doing.  There were two times when he caught fish that were a thousand pounds, but he always had others to help him (Hemmingway 23).  This time he was all alone and the fish was easily at least fifteen-hundred pounds.  For an old man especially he acted heroic by fighting to catch the fish no matter what happened. 

            I also think of him as a hero for saving himself.  He pushed past all of the pain of the cramps, cuts, and not knowing how long he would be out at sea.  This encounter with the fish and the sharks was very strenuous on him.  The narrator says, “Twice, though, he had felt faint and dizzy and that had worried him.  ‘I could not fail myself and die on a fish like this’.”  (Hemmingway 32)

            Santiago can also be considered the hero because after the fish was gone, he did not sink into despair. “He was past everything now and he sailed the skiff to make his home port as well and as intelligently as he could. In the night sharks hit the carcass as someone might pick up crumbs from the table. The old man paid no attention to them and did not pay any attention to anything except steering. He only noticed how lightly and bow well the skiff sailed now there was no great weight beside her.” (Hemmingway 45)  When he arrived to his the island again he did not show any signs of being angry or disappointed.  Instead of dreaming about trying to catch the fish, which would show that he has not quite let the matter go, he dreams of seeing the lions on the beaches in Africa (Hemmingway 48). 

            In the book, Santiago was described as caring, determined, and strong.  One word that describes him is courage.  He went far out into the ocean where no one else would go because it was too dangerous.  Then, when threatened by time and knowing what he was up against he was not scared but kept on going. 

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.