In this novel, there were roughly four characters to choose as the hero: Santiago, Manolin, the marlin, and the sharks. Seeing as though only Santiago and Manolin were given background and spoken personality, I would have to pick Santiago, the old man. There is no doubt that he is the hero of this story. He went against his supposed bad luck and his physical limitations to catch an eighteen-foot long fish, which, you know, was later eaten by sharks.
His other, more desirable traits canceled out his limitations, such as: skillfulness, emotional strength, bravery, determination, and a lack of fear. Many times he seemed to doubt himself, but he refused to dwell on it. Even the pain from reeling in the massive fish was ignored by the old man in a mostly successful attempt at staying strong. He seemed to have a different outlook on the concept of pain than the average human. “After the sun went down he tied it around his neck so that it hung down over his back and he cautiously worked it down under the line that was across his shoulders now. The sack cushioned the line and he had found a way of leaning forward against the bow so that he was almost comfortable. The position actually was only somewhat less intolerable; but he thought of it as almost comfortable.” (Hemingway 47). Despite his pain, the old man maintains his glass-half-full personality, and I really respect him for that.
Santiago accomplishes many things, but unfortunately all of his hard work is put to waste. He spent over three days trying to reel in an eighteen-foot marlin and he eventually won his fight against it. He was able to tie the massive fish to the side of his boat and start heading home, but sharks came along the way and ate the fish before the old man could get to land. Santiago also accomplished the hard feat of keeping his endurance up for those three days. He did sleep, but he found ways to maintain his hold on the line, even though many of them involved being in an uncomfortable position.
I cannot help but compare Santiago to somewhat of a Jesus figure. The old man has so many great traits about him, including selflessness, which is a trait that many associate with Jesus. Even though he states numerous times that he wishes the boy, who is his friend, was there with him, he still would not allow him to come. He did not want the boy to be stuck on an unlucky boat with him. He realized that regaining his luck and capturing the big fish he wished for was his burden to carry. This leads me to believe that Santiago represents the abstract idea of selfless compassion and goodness. “ ‘Ay,’ he said aloud. There is no translation for this word and perhaps it is just a noise such as a man might make, involuntarily, feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood.” (Hemingway 107). In this scene, we can see that Santiago has accepted his defeat. He has realized the reality of the situation that the sharks would take his prize and he might not make it home. This humble understanding and the reference to a crucifixion leads me to believe that Santiago was meant to represent a Jesus-like figure.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.
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