I don't think I have ever read a novel that contains such few characters like that of The Old Man and the Sea. The novel follows Santiago the whole time, and since he is stuck at sea all alone, there is little need to incorporate unnecessary, minor characters. However, I have found that some of the secondary characters aren't even people or aren't really involved in the plot itself. For example, the Marlin is a very important part of the novel, but not necessarily a person. He shows traits of personification which qualify him as being a main character. He acted as a friend towards Santiago, most likely because they were both going through the same struggle between life and death. The marlin pulled the boat along for a great amount of time which created a bond between it and the old man. Santiago once said, "Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer more noble thing than you, brother (Hemingway 92)." Although the marlin didn't make it back to shore alive, his skeleton was measured to be about eighteen feet long which qualified him as being an honorable catch. Similar to the marlin, Joe DiMaggio was mentioned several times throughout the novel and used as a symbol, but was never truly a part of the action. He acted as a role model for the old man and provided him with strength to get home. He even compared himself to DiMaggio by saying, "Do you believe the great DiMaggio would stay with a fish as long as I will stay with this one (Hemingway 68)." Thinking about DiMaggio and the New York Yankees allowed Santiago to take his mind off of what he was really going through. It was also mentioned several times that Joe DiMaggio and his family were avid fishers. This fact inspired Santiago and kept him hopeful that he would return home safely and someday have the chance to fish alongside his hero.
[Bibiography]
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.
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