Character Description: Santiago

In The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, the main character is an old man named Santiago. Santiago is a fisherman and has been for most of his life (Hemingway 9). Santiago is described as being both wrinkled and scarred (Hemingway 9). He also has patches of discolored skin due to skin cancer (Hemingway 9). The only part of Santiago that is young is his eyes. They are described as being as blue as the sea and undefeated (Hemingway 10). This is significant because the eyes are described as being the window to the soul. This would mean that under the exterior weathered by time, Santiago is still strong of mind and has good spirit. Santiago's strong and good spirit is important because the reader soon finds that Santiago will need all the strength and patience he can muster. At the beginning of the story Santiago is described as being unlucky and he has not caught a fish for eighty-four days (Hemingway 9). So, Santiago sets out into the Gulf Stream from Havana, Cuba and goes farther out than he usually does (Hemingway 28). This is where he hooks a huge marlin, and begins the struggle of trying to kill the fish (Hemingway 44). Through Santiago's struggle with the marlin the reader is able to see his true personality come out. Santiago is very determined and shows this through his efforts to get the marlin. Santiago endures very uncomfortable positions for long periods of time to catch the fish (Hemingway 45). The reader can also see how often and deeply Santiago loves. Santiago loves things including the boy and the lions he dreams about (Hemingway 25). Yet, the love Santiago feels for the marlin seems to be the most profound. Most fishermen would be more frustrated towards the fish that they trying to catch instead of loving, but not Santiago. He loves the fish because he respects the fish in almost every way (Hemingway 54). Santiago shows the reader how good and strong he is even when he is facing one of the biggest challenges of his life.

Bibliography:Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. 2003 ed. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.