The hero of the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, is obviously the main and title character, the old man, Santiago. He is a old man who has been fishing for his entire life. Santiago is a minimalist, and lives by himself. The old man was a loner after his wife dies, but has recently taken the company of a young boy that he is now teaching how to fish. The author represents the old man as an ideal human. The old man has lived his life fully, he is brave, and he has an incredible will and determination. With any hero type character he has a fatal flaw: pride. Santiago makes a huge mistake because of his pride, fishing too far out into the ocean, but unlike most characters, he realizes his mistake and comes to term with the consequences of his decision. He turns his mistake into a good thing by teaching the boy all of his knowledge of fishing. Throughout the old man's epic journey on the sea, he learns many lessons. After being alone for so many years, the old man realizes that the company in the form of the young boy really makes a difference. "I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this." (Hemingway 48). By the end of the novel the old man realizes that in order to have his life's work live on, he much teach the boy everything he knows.
The old man could also represent an abstract idea of Christ. After the old man is ashore most of the things that he does, makes you think of the crucifixion of Christ. Carrying the mast, and the way he sleeps are too examples. Hemingway relates the old man to Christ to show the idea of you can gain something even with the worst situation. The old man loses his prize fish, but the young boy will never do anything like that.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.
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