Who Is Santiago A Hero

The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old fisherman who struggles to get the greatest catch of his life. For eighty-four days, Santiago has set out to sea and he unfortunately returned empty-handed. In Santiago, the central character of The Old man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway has created a hero who personifies honor, courage, and perseverance. Santiago is the type of man that is willing to take chances in life no matter how hard it may be to accomplish what he wants.

Since Santiago is seemed to be not liked by the creatures of the sea, a lot people choose to view the story as a chronicle of man’s battle against the natural world. He is honorable because he is respectable. He has spent eighty-four days straight without catching one fish but still decides to keep trying. It is through the effort to battle the inevitable that a basic man can prove himself.That fact is indeed true, a man can prove his determination over and over. He honors the marlin for its dignity and tries to protect it against the sharks who would ravage it. When he caught the fish he said, “Because I love you, I have to kill you.” …show more content…
You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after. If you love him, it is not a sin to kill him.” Santiago drives himself crazy because he tried to make sense of why he did what he did. He justifies his behavior by claiming that his killing of the marlin was because of his love and respect for it. Hemingway once wrote, "Courage is grace under pressure," and this definition fits Santiago's courage perfectly. He does not whine about his bad luck or the fact that the marlin challenges his strength, or the sharks who steal his catch.To Santiago, it takes little courage to strike the sharks with his harpoon, with his oar, or with his knife. He is