A Hero In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

Amalia Pangelinan
Stephanie Farrier
LI 150 Sec. 01
April 29, 2015
The Old Man and the Sea We usually think of a hero as the stereotypical fit and strong individual who has the ability to fight and save the day, but a hero is more than just that. A hero is a person of courage, selflessness, and humility, admired for their brave acts and honorable qualities. In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway presents the main character, Santiago, as a man eager to follow his passion and willing to take risks in life. Throughout all the trails he faces in the novel, his spirit remains undefeated. Hemingway has created Santiago, an ordinary old man whose courage, perseverance, and faith make him admirable, and an example of how people should

Instead of bragging to the other fishermen about his great catch that he once had, Santiago simply stays humble and returns to his home like it was a normal day. Towards the end of the novel, Hemingway makes a somewhat perfect ending by describing Santiago’s position as he collapses on his bed, “Face down with his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up.” (Hemingway) Using imagery, it is obvious that he conveys the image of Christ, restless and exhausted, while he is hung up on the cross. This specific ending displays the exhaustion Santiago must have felt. The biblical influence of the novel shows that the old man and Jesus suffered in many of the same ways, and they both are individuals who exemplify excellence by turning loss into gain, defeat into victory and even death into new

He never complained and whined about his bad luck streak, nor the marlin that challenges his strength, or the shark that ends up eating his catch. Instead, he does his very best, without complaining. He honors and respects the marlin for its dignity and tries to protect it against the sharks that would devour it. For a short moment in the novel, Santiago accepts defeat, saying, "I never knew how easy it is when you 're beaten." But, indeed, Santiago is not beaten. He has the courage to go back home, tug himself into his house, face the boy and the fishermen, and accept the loss of his greatest and most memorable