The Old Man and the Sea: Santiago

As the main character of this novel, Santiago is the old man in which the plot revolves around. Described as being a gentle man with eyes the color of the sea (Hemingway 10), Santiago exudes many honorable traits that a great protagonist is known for, including pride, respect, and courage. He is prideful in the work he does, and this is shown through the amount of knowledge and skill that he has acquired for fishing. The old man also loved the young boy, Manolin, enough to teach him the skills of fishing, yet respected him enough when his parents would no longer let them fish together. By the end of the journey and even the novel, Santiago's own strength and drive to survive surprised himself. His journey was a long and tough one, but he was able to to make it thanks to the courage he had all along. Don't let all of these cheesy, girly traits fool you, however. Althouth the other fisherman often teased the old man, it was Santiago who was hardest on himself. He chose to fish out a little farther than usual and worked hard to prove to the others that he could keep up. He might have shown love and courage on the outside, but Santiago was one competitive old man when it came down to it.

Judging by the amount of time and strength he spent fighting off predators, Santiago was pretty protective when it came to his belongings. He was especially defensive when it came to his prized catch, the marlin. "There is no one worthy of eating him from the manner of his behavior and his great dignity (Hemingway 75)," he said. The old man eventually shows a more religious side when the journey takes a tough turn. He prays to God in hopes of a safe return home.


Now let's not forget the number one description for the old man which would be...a Die Hard Yankees Fan. He would check the team's line up and the stats of his favorite player, Joe DiMaggio, every morning. It was even one of the first things he asked about when he returned home. Due to the circumstances, I think "die hard fan" would be quite accurate.

[Bibliography]

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