The Old Man and the Many Facets of a Hero Essay Example

In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an elderly and unlucky fisherman, is often pitied and made fun of by the other fishermen in his village. Although he faces many challenges, he is still able to trust in his skill and eventually comes out as triumphant even through his struggles. Using Santiago, Hemingway can convey the traits of an ideal hero. Throughout the novella, Santiago is always kind and considerate and manages to keep his benevolent ideals until the very end. Santiago also never loses his strong sense of tenacity, which allows him to eventually overcome his hardships.

There is never a moment in the story where Santiago does not feel compassion and empathy for those around him. For example, after the marlin he catches is partially mutilated from sharks, he says, “I am sorry that I went too far out. I ruined us both” (115). It is clear that Santiago is guilty about what has happened, and shows that he cares about those close to him, down to more seemingly insignificant life forms such as a fish. Even at the very end of the story, when Manolin, a small boy that is friends with Santiago, asks what should be done with the head of the marlin’s carcass, Santiago remarks that he will “Let Pedrico chop it up to use in fish traps” (124), which is a very generous act, displaying that even until the very end he is thinking about others rather than just himself.

In general, Santiago fishes consistently even after 84 days, because he recognizes his skill yet still has a sense of humility within. From the very start, it is voiced that “His hope and confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises” (13). It is established that Santiago is very confident in his skill, which is how he manages to regularly go out fishing regardless of his shortcomings. If other fishermen were to be in the same position as Santiago, many would have given up at that point. Santiago can also be regarded as very persistent with his goals. Despite the fact that he is in much pain from factors such as his hands being heavily lacerated and lack of sustenance due to his struggle of holding the marlin at bay, he tries his best and eventually succeeds. This can be shown when Santiago states, “I think the great DiMaggio would be proud of me today. I had no bone spurs. But the hands and the back hurt truly” (97). Through and through, Santiago is completely demolished physically,  and his mental state is starting to falter as well, yet all the same, he compares himself to DiMaggio. Similar to DiMaggio, he persists through his agony and manages to reach his goal, which is catching the marlin in the end.

Overall, it can be concluded that Santiago is very thoughtful and considerate to those around him, which can be displayed by his willingness to give to others in spite of his situation, and feelings of sensitivity toward animals like fish. He is also striving and diligent in his profession, routinely going fishing regardless of if he catches anything or not, and is able to make do with what he has and catch the grand marlin, rising above his misfortune. The Old Man and the Sea successfully and indirectly make comments about life and the inner workings of a man’s psyche. Hemingway cleverly depicts a man with many heroic traits without being too upfront about it and captures a life that is seemingly somewhat idealistic in a way, yet at the same time realistic.