The Old Man and the Sea: Hero-Comparison

The hero in The Old Man and the Sea is no different than the heroes of many other novels. In most cases, the character that surpasses every obstacle placed in front of them is usually considered the hero. However, in all of the novels I have read where this scenario holds true, I have never seen a character have quite the drive and perseverance like that of the old man. Santiago is the protagonist who is dealt a number of challenges in the beginning of the novel and is able to accomplish them by the end, which is very heroic. His large amount of pride and hard work allowed him to protect his fish for quite some time and put an end to his no fish streak. Although Santiago was portrayed as being an unlucky old man, it was actually his drive and a little luck that helped him on his journey home.

Like I said before, the hero of this novel can be linked to many others. The best comparison I have found is Forrest, Forrest Gump. Both Forrest and Santiago have obstacles to overcome and people being unsupportive along the way. In fact, Santiago could have used the advice given to Forrest by his mother, "You are no different than anyone else." The old man could have used this encouragement during his eighty-four day streak without a catch because he must have wondered why the other fishermen were having an easier time catching fish. During his journey, Forrest Gump loses his best friend, Jenny, due to the counterculture movement, similar to how the old man loses Manolin, his apprentice, due to his unlucky streak. Both men had a hard time dealing with thesse losses. Santiago even admits, "I wish I had the boy to help me and to see this (Hemingway 48)." An obvious similarity between Forrest and the old man is their love and talent towards fishing. Santiago works hard every day to improve his skills in hopes of catching a fish, and Forrest is able to start a very profitable shrimp boat. However, the most common and meaningful comparison between Santiago and Forrest Gump is that they both successfully return home in the end.

[Bibliography]

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.