Old Man and the Sea
Santiago as a Hemingway Hero Most people that are old have little ambition to do anything, complain about everything, are brittle, and even senile. So one could reasonably ask how the stoic but old Cuban fisherman Santiago could possibly go without catching a fish for 87 days and then fight a fish two feet longer than his skiff and probably ten times Santiago’s weight for three days while remaining calm, collective, and strong. In Ernest Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea, one learns the tale of Santiago’s epic voyage to bring in the catch of his life. Through his pride, his endurance, and his love of nature, it is seen why Santiago is a Hemingway hero. Pride is a trait that Santiago emits. He is confident with fishing and fishes with his skills well honed. Though Santiago is a humble man who says, “I may not be as strong as I think” he will not show resolve on his self-proclaimed malefactor which would be that of a bad fisherman. Santiago continues saying, “I know many tricks and show resolve” (23), which goes to show the pride he takes in his work. It proves that Santiago cares about his job and doing it well. The pride of this fisherman is further exemplified doing what he does best attempting to bring in his catch. Amidst arguing with himself Santiago states “You’re good forever” (92) to reassure his self that he is skilled and can handle many more turns to subdue the marlin. By doing so and eventually bringing in the marlin, he shows how great of a fisherman he is. Lastly, suffering from attacking dentusos, Santiago makes his own revelation: “A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (103). This revelation comes while the old man feels sorry for himself but realizes the fish though lighter is still with him and that he still has what it takes to get back home. Doing all this, the old Cuban proves to himself that he is doing his job well and continues to do his job well because “man is not made for defeat” (103). Pride is a trait