Pain can be described as anything that causes stress or hurt on one’s body, mind and soul. Emotional, mental and physical pain can all cause a person to lose sight of their ambitions and goals in life. This however is not the case with the old man in Hemingway’s novel, The Old Man and the Sea. The old man, Santiago, makes his way through life with perseverance, or determination to succeed. He never gives up on his dreams, despite pains and consequences he encounters. This characteristic is one that becomes a very important quality in the characterization of Santiago. Hemingway develops one aspect of his characters personality very deeply, and Santiago’s courage, and perseverance is developed thoroughly throughout the novel. The most important aspect of the old man’s characterization is his ability to overcome pain and persevere.
The old man shows his strength by overcoming the pain he has from the communities’ negative thoughts about him, the physical pain from the fishing line on his back and hands, and the emotional pain he feels after the sharks have eaten his prize fish.
On one hand, the old man has not caught any fish in eighty-four days. He is becoming very discouraged with himself, and wants more than anything to catch a fish, and prove to the other fisherman in the village that he is not too old. His streak of bad luck when it comes to catching any fish, and the hurtful remarks the other fisherman give him, cause the old man to experience great mental pain. Although Santiago doesn’t show the pain he suffers from the other fisherman’s remarks, their comments affect his behavior. He wants to prove to them that he is not too old, and he is still a very capable fisherman. The narrator says, “They sat on the Terrace and many of the fisherman made fun of the old man and he was not angry.” Even though the old man is hurt inside, by the remarks that the other men make, he does not let them see his aggravation, but instead makes a promise to himself that he will catch a large fish, and prove them wrong. This shows Santiago’s perseverance and his strong will to succeed.
The Term Paper on The Old Man And The Sea Santiago As An Image Of Christ
The Old Man and The Sea: Santiago as an Image of Christ Introduction Through the history of civilizations, as distant as the early ages when Homo Sapience first roamed the planet, man has incessantly entered into conflict with environment. As the ancient man has evolved, he has become over dependant on nature to the point where he takes benefit of its abundance of gifts. In spite of the fact that ...
Similarly, the old man suffers a great deal of physical pain while he is out to sea. The marlin that he is trying to kill is two feet longer than his boat, and weighs a great deal more than he does. Nevertheless, Santiago is determined to kill the fish and in his determination, he acquires a number of cuts and bruises. The fact that he is alone and very far out to sea, means that he must kill this enormous fish alone. The fishing line that is holding his prized possession gives this poor old man terrible rope burn on his back and shoulders and deeply cuts both of his hands. The narrator says, “He woke with a jerk of his right fist coming up against his face and the line burning out through his right hand.” Santiago had not slept in at least two days, and he kept telling himself that he needed to rest in order to be strong for the final struggle against the fish. When he finally fell asleep, he set himself up so that when the fish pulled on the line, he would wake up. At this point however, the rope had already done severe damage to Santiago’s hands and although he soaked them in salt water, and attempted to heal them in the sun, he continued to re-injure them in his constant efforts to keep his fish. On the other hand, through his determination, Santiago ignores the excruciating pains and continues to battle this great marlin. He did everything he could to protect himself, but collect the fish as his prize. The narrator describes Santiago’s thoughts when he says, “He was stiff and sore now, and his wounds and all of the strained parts of his body hurt with the cold of the night. I hope I do not have to fight again, he thought but by midnight he fought.” This proves that Santiago would do whatever it takes despite how he felt about it. This shows his perseverance and determination to succeed.
The Essay on An Ideal Hero Santiago Man Hemingway
What makes a hero? Alike with all other persons, Ernest Hemingway had his own perceptions of what a hero truly is. In Hemingway's novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, the old man, attained characteristics that could depict him as an ideal "Hemingway Hero." Through the old man's adventurous spirit, his fearlessness of death, determination, and his independence, Santiago fits Hemingway's hero ...
Likewise, the old man suffers extreme emotional pain. He has finally caught and killed the great fish that will prove himself to the town, and his enemies the sharks have eaten it. This depresses the old man and makes him wish that this whole adventure never happened and he had never gone out so far to sea. The old man says to himself and the fish, “I wish this were a dream and that I had never hooked him. I’m sorry about it fish.” 4 The old man has become so upset and depressed that he is no longer even proud of himself for accomplishing such an amazing task. He only wishes that he were at home, in bed, and this was all a bad dream. Also, Santiago is ashamed of the damage the sharks have done to his beautiful fish. He is disappointed that he is ruined. The narrator says, “He did not want to look at the fish. He knew that half of him had been destroyed.” Santiago had accomplished all that he had hoped to accomplish and more. Except now, he has nothing to show for it, except the bones of the great fish. This causes him great emotional pain, yet he continues home, and holds his head high. Once his ship is docked, he takes his possessions, leaving the skeleton of the fish attached to the side of his skiff. This shows his perseverance, because even though he may be made fun of, for returning only with a skeleton of an enormous fish, he chooses to show the community that he has indeed succeeded in catching an incredible sized fish. By doing this, Santiago is showing his pride and courageousness.
In conclusion, the old man’s ability to overcome pain and persevere is the most important aspect of characterization in Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. His overcoming of emotional pain after losing the fish, physical pain from the long journey, and mental pain from others’ negative remarks prove this to be true. Santiago is the protagonist character for this novel, and has many strong character traits. Nonetheless, his perseverance and determination and ability to overcome pain are most definitely his strongest character traits. If the old man had not been able to overcome the many pains he suffered, he surely would have died at sea. It was his strong character and his determination that kept him going, through the most extenuating circumstances. Many other men would not have the courage, determination, or skill to do what Santiago did, and he is noted on those strong character traits. Santiago was a brave character, and although he was poor, had few friends, and didn’t catch many fish, he did have determination, and could do whatever he set his mind to.
The Essay on A Man’s Character is his Fate
The statement, “a man’s character is his fate” is a very powerful statement that I strongly agree with. I believe this is true because, in my opinion, you choose your fate by the actions and choices you make every day and your actions and choices make up your character. Someone’s character can say a lot about them and your character most always chooses your fate. Your character determines what ...
