Introduction
The Old Man and the Sea novella earned considerable recognition from its author, Ernest Hemingway, and a Pulitzer Prize. The tone, writing style, and plot captivate and keep readers in suspense, forcing them to breathlessly monitor the struggle between the old man and the fish. The events of only a few days described in the novella allow close acquaintance with the protagonist and his personality. Despite his age, which leads others to assume the main character’s weakness, he shows strength, perseverance, and stoicism, which is typical of Hemingway’s idea of heroism.
Santiago: Character Description
The main character in The Old Man and the Sea is a man of age, a fisherman by profession who has been unlucky in fishing for 84 days. The man’s name is Santiago, but it is mentioned only four times in the story when his friend, the boy, addresses him and in memories of the past. Throughout the book, the narrator calls the protagonist ‘the old man.’ Failure in fishing and older age become defining characteristics for the character at the novella’s beginning.
However, it is worth noting that Hemingway represents other essential features of the protagonist, “He was too simple to wonder when he had achieved humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride” (3). This passage demonstrates that Santiago is humble but proud, and respect is crucial to him. The mentioned features play an essential role in his heroism.
Santiago as a Conventional Hero
It should be noted that the concepts of heroism and the understanding of heroes in literature developed over time, which affects the perception of Santiago as a hero. In particular, the traditional ideas of heroism come from ancient Greek literature, where characters are often of divine origin and achieve fame with their bold exploits (Fadhil 625). Classic heroes have specific qualities, such as strength, nobility, willingness to sacrifice, courage, and honesty. At the same time, considering the ancient Greek epic, heroic figures are also often young, beautiful, intelligent, cunning, and curious. Hemingway’s old man is not similar to the described characters but shares many of their qualities, which suggests that he can be considered a conventionally heroic figure.
Santiago’s struggle with fish reveals many qualities of a man, bringing him closer to traditional heroes. For example, he spends several days at sea with little food and is constantly under physical stress to pull out the giant marlin. The old man does not allow himself weakness, feels humiliated by cramps, ignores wounds, controls fishing equipment with one hand, demonstrates dexterity, and fights with sharks.
Santiago shows perseverance despite the difficulties of staying at sea and fighting fish: “The thousand times that he had proven it meant nothing. Now he was proving it again. Each time was a new time, and he never thought about the past when he was doing it” (Hemingway 24). Later, being honest, he wants to give his small catch to a man who looks after the boat and gear (Hemingway 47). Guided by his pride, consequently, the old man proves his abilities and strength despite his age and emerging difficulties, which indicates his heroism.
The Unique and Unusual Nature of Santiago’s Heroism
At the same time, Santiago’s heroism is unusual due to the ideas the author put in the book. Hemingway represents The Lost Generation, a group of writers influenced by the First World War in young adulthood. Hemingway served in the war and saw many real heroes – beaten but stoical (Dobiáš 12). Such an experience influenced the writer’s work, and its reflection can be seen in the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea.
Santiago is too old and inferior to Marlin in terms of physical strength, but thanks to his willpower, he chooses to keep fighting and wins. Later, he is humble enough to accept help from the boy and give himself time to heal after fishing, but at the same time, he is decisive and proud to show his strength. Therefore, the protagonist’s heroism is unique, more realistic, and simple than the classic one.
Santiago’s Belief and Its Role in Defining His Heroism
The essence and uniqueness of Hemingway’s notion of heroism are conveyed in the protagonist’s thoughts on defeat. Following Santiago’s faith, “… man is not made for defeat. […] A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway 38). This statement correlates with the image of the hero that the writer saw in the war – soldiers can be beaten or physically wounded, but their spirit is not broken, and they believe in victory. Therefore, destruction refers to a person’s physical body – it is destroyed by age, hard work, and disease. However, the protagonist proves that a strong spirit will not allow defeat, even with a weak body. After his stay at sea, he was destroyed – weakened, lost his catch, and received wounds, but his opinion of failures suggests that he will consequently choose not to surrender.
Conclusion
Thus, the protagonist in The Old Man and the Sea embodies the author’s notion of heroism, combining classical and unique ideas about heroes. Santiago is old, but his pride and strength will push him to the manifestation of stoicism, strength, and assertiveness. Various facets of his character are revealed during the fight against the huge marlin. As a conventionally heroic figure, he shows strength and courage, having spent several days alone with almost no food and in the struggle.
However, after the old man catches the fish, the sharks eat it, leaving the fisherman with nothing. Physically, he is destroyed – wounded, tired, and in need of healing, but Santiago believes that man cannot be defeated. The uniqueness of Hemingway’s heroism is manifested in this faith – the hero is not ideal and can show weakness, but he remains assertive and does not give up before difficulties.
Works Cited
Dobiáš, David. The Depiction of a Hero in Selected Works by Ernest Hemingway. 2022. Bachelor Thesis. Masaryk University. Web.
Fadhil, Mohammed Juma’ah. “The Image of Hero in Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” Journal of Al-Frahedis Arts, vol. 11, no. 39, 2019, pp. 623-632. IASJ, Web.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. Asiaing, 1952. Arvind Gupta Toys E-Book, Web.