Sandra Effinger
Period 7
11/09/1999
Santiago: Hemingway’s Champion
In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway presents the fisherman
Santiago as the ideal man -- independent in his action, eager to
follow his calling, and willing to take chances in life. The
old man’s most notable attribute, however, appears to be his
unquenchable spirit: no matter how his body is beaten, his spirit
remains undefeated, undefeatable, through all trials. In
Santiago, the central character in The Old Man and the Sea,
Hemingway has created a hero who personifies honor, courage,
endurance, and faith. (Thesis Sentence)
No
amount of pain or physical abuse can quench Santiago’s honor
and pride, which remain invincible. (Topic Sentence 1) Even
in his squalid existence, the old man is proud, saying that he
will have fish to eat at home, even though he knows he hasn't
any. He prefers hunger to shame. Also, Santiago faces risk by
choosing to go “too far out.” Ignoring the hardships
involved in his duel with the great fish, Santiago catches the
marlin, thus justifying his pride and reliance upon himself.
His attitude toward this great fish shows the true extent of
his honor, for he takes pride in the strength and endurance of
his opponent, calling it his brother. To die battling such a
powerful fish would not be dishonorable. In a strange way, Santiago
loves the fish even as his kills it. The carcass of the fish
is devoured by sharks, much as Santiago’s body is torn; but the
skeleton, along with the old man’s inner spirit, remain unconquered.
Santiago’s
courage is inseparable from his honor. (Topic Sentence 2)
As Hemingway once wrote, “Courage is grace under pressure,” and this definition suits Santiago’s courage perfectly. Santiago
never gives in to fear or recriminations. He does not whine about
his bad luck, nor does he blame the hand which temporarily betrays
him, the marlin who challenges his strength, or the sharks who
steal his catch. Instead, he does the best he can, without complaint
or boasting. He honors the marlin for its dignity and tries to
protect it against the sharks who would ravage it. To Santiago,
it takes little courage to strike the sharks with his harpoon,
with his oar, with his knife. He wishes only that he had brought
a stone so he could keep fighting. For one brief moment, Santiago
accepts defeat, saying, “I never knew how easy it is when
you're beaten.” But, of course, Santiago is not beaten.
He has the courage left to return home, to drag himself to his
hut, to face Manolin, and to accept the loss of his greatest
catch. This, too, takes courage.
Santiago’s
ability to endure the harsh life he lives is largely a result
of his resignation to the belief that “Pain does not matter
to a man.” (Topic Sentence 3) If DiMaggio can endure his bone spur, if the great fish
can bear to pull the weight of his boat, then a simple old man
can at least endure the discomforts of his existence. To Santiago,
his hands, unwilling to open, responsive only to pain, have minds
of their own and are traitors to his will. Even when his ordeal
at sea is over, the old man, by himself, must carry home the
mast of his ship, a symbol of his burden and suffering. He may
be old, but he still has the endurance of El Campeon.
In
spite of hunger and pain and 84 days of bad luck, Santiago keeps
the faith he has in himself. (Topic Sentence 4)He dreams
of days long gone by -- of hand-wrestling and of golden lions on
the beach of Africa. He tries to be like Joe DiMaggio who overcame
pain (a bone spur) and believes the baseball player would be
proud of him. Santiago has faith that he can be like the sea
turtle whose heart keeps beating even in death, and so the old
man will never give up. At the end “something is broken
inside,” but the old man's eyes remain alive. The body may
be weak, temporary,vulnerable; the spirit is enduring, invincible,
eternal. Although he prays and promises to say hundreds of Hail
Mary’s, Santiago’s faith is in himself, not in God. When anyone
else would give up, Santiago and Manolin have faith in each other
and make plans to fish together. The very last line foreshadows
the old man's renewal in his dreams about the lions of his youth.
Ultimately,
Santiago’s honor, courage, endurance, and faith are what make
him a symbol for the best in any of us. (Restated Thesis Sentence)
Our battles are not with marlins, with sharks, with poverty,
or even with old age; yet we all struggle against some foe at
some time in our lives. Hemingway has created a character whose
experience can help us in our own battles. Santiago shows us
that defeat lies only in refusing the battle, not in losing the
fight.
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