Is Santiago A Hero Essay

Is Santiago A Hero? - The Old Man and the Sea A hero is defined as someone who is perceived to be a great person who’s actions have shown triumph and/or bravery. In The Old Man And The Sea, Santiago is believed to be a hero by many due to his strength and hard work. Liza Wiemer once said, “Perseverance is the act of true role models and heroes” (goodreads.com). Santiago most definitely shows perseverance throughout the story because of his passion of fishing. His knowledge and skills make him superior to other fishermen. Santiago is a very strong individual. Throughout the course of the story, Hemmingway demonstrates his strength through is endurance. For example, when the younger fishermen continually taunt Santiago, he is able to ignore it because he does not care what others think of him. Another example is when Santiago starts to feel cramps and injuries in his hand, but he bares through it and is able to survive. He even tells himself, while attempting to catch the fish, “You better be fearless and confident yourself, old man” (Hemmingway 84). Santiago’s strength and endurance allows him to survive long periods of time out at sea. Santiago is also very hard working, especially for his age. After finally catching the fish, Santiago is able to defend
However, many of his actions and characteristics gift him with the quality of a hero. Although some say that Santiago failed to protect the fish, he risked his life attempting to save it. Some could also argue that his attempts were futile, but despite not saving the fish, Santiago was able to defend against massive amounts of sharks and still manage to survive. Another valid argument is how Santiago did not catch a fish for 84 days, but he was believed to have “salao”, which is the worst form of unlucky. On top of that, he is a very skilled fisherman, so if his luck is that terrible, then it must have had an impact on Santiago despite his