The Old Man and the Sea: Who is the "hero" in this book and what are some of his/her traits? What does he/she accomplish, and how is he/she portrayed? Does the hero represent an abstract idea such as goodness, truth, courage or evil?

The hero in this book is Santiago. Santiago is a really well-formed and extensive character, and throughout the story, a lot of his traits are revealed. From the start Heming way describes him as having “confident loving eyes”.(Hemingway pg.13) and you can see by how he interacts with Manolin that he is a very caring and fatherly figure. He has a great attitude and is mature and wise in his age, you can see this by how he reacts to being made fun of for being so unlucky. He doesn’t get angry or start a fight. (Hemingway pg.11) He doesn’t mind, and he is still confident in himself. He is a very optimistic person, and has self-worth. Hemingway describes him, saying, “His hope and his confidence had never gone. But now they were freshening as when the breeze rises.” (Hemingway pg. 13) He is an overall humble and respectable person. But the trait that stands out most is his determination to continue trying even though he might fail again. He shows courage in sight of defeat when fighting off sharks and struggling against the fish.

Santiago accomplishes one of his greatest feats in this book. He catches an eighteen foot long Marlin, bigger than his boat, and strong as an ox. He also single handedly fights off hordes of sharks, and lives to tell the tale. He breaks his streak of not catching any fish, and he bravely fights even though he knows he’s going to fail. Santiago is an amazing character full of bravery and courage.

People portray Santiago differently throughout the book, and some people even change their portrayal on him as the story goes on. Manolin, Santiago’s closest friend and as close to him as a son, sees him as a fatherly figure, and an honorable and caring man. He takes care of Santiago and loves him. Other fishermen see Santiago as a failure, and some feel pity and sadness for him. After Santiago comes back with the skeleton of the Marlin, the fishermen have a new sense of respect for Santiago. They know that it was an extremely difficult feat, and a daring fight. In the end, Santiago gains respect.

I think Santiago represents the abstract idea of determination. He doesn’t give up, even when he sees failure in his future. He has a passion in him that doesn’t cease, and though he is old, he fights like he is forever young, never quitting, and never giving up. The determination that he has is amazing, and is an honorable trait that he represents.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.