A Mirror Image No two people are exactly alike, but they can be quite similar. Not only can people share the same features and characteristics, but they can also harness the same qualities and values. Those who have similar traits are more compatible with each other than those with different traits. Similarities are just as important as diversity because it is beneficial to have a friend in a world with so many enemies. Two people who are oddly similar to one another are Joe DiMaggio, a famous baseball player, and Santiago, an old fisherman. In Ernest Hemingway’s, “The Old Man and the Sea,” Santiago compares himself to DiMaggio by discussing their similar backgrounds, reflecting on DiMaggio’s physical struggle, and resolving to reign victorious. Growing up poor, Santiago realizes that he and DiMaggio share a common background. They are both fishermen and were introduced to the field at a young age. Santiago can remember when he was young and, “before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa,” proving that he is no stranger to a boat or sea ferrying. On the other hand, DiMaggio starts his fishing career as a young boy cleaning the fish smell out of his father’s boat. Santiago dreams of, “[taking] the great DiMaggio fishing” and makes a reference to his father in that, “[People] say he was a fisherman. Maybe …show more content…
Santiago, a strong fisherman in love with baseball, and DiMaggio, a determined baseball player eager to succeed in his goals, are both great examples of how two people can be different, yet similar. They both feel the need to prove themselves despite any challenges that precede them. This is beneficial to the plot of, “The Old Man and the Sea,” for it helps show the protagonist’s might and perseverance through elaborate symbolism. As the man fights his way through the ocean, he must recall on his inner strength in the form of DiMaggio to make victory