TOMATS - Santiago Analysis

As the hero, protagonist, main character, or what ever else one might label him as, the old man Santiago was quite a developed character.  His physicality was detailed, from the wrinkles on his skin to his painfully cramped up hands which may have almost failed him completely at some points in the story(Hemingway 85).  Although his small, frail, malnourished body was what one would see on the outside, it was what was on the inside of poor little Santiago’s body that made him quite extraordinary.  Santiago displayed courage, going day in and day out following his desire to capture this great fish.  At the time, the old man did not know that this marlin was as great as it was, yet he stuck with it.  This shows dedication.  The old man Santiago was best know for his perseverance for it might be one of the strongest values a reader would have seen in him while reading The Old Man and the Sea.   Sticking through little food, long days, hardly and rest and painstaking work for hours on end, the old man resembles a fight for what he wants.  A sense of never giving up can be seen with in him as well.  He could have easily dropped the line into the water and floated back to the bright, now dim, glowing lights of Havana of the coast of Cuba.  Santiago showed pride yet was thankful for what he had at times, especially the little lucky boy Manolin who was his partner and possibly best friend.  They both admired and were thankful for each other.  The old man knew that Manolin would have been with him if he could control it himself, but he caught the great fish even without him.  This gives him great pride.  This also makes Santiago realize he needs the boy.  Santiago would be a character that generations to come could read about and interpret, but also look up to and aspire to be similar to.  

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.