Old Man Strong And A Winner example essay topic

In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man in the Sea, Santiago, the old man, is said to be a hero and a winner by many people, including Hemingway himself. Santiago is Hemingway's idea of the perfect human; he never gives up, and yet he does not think of himself as a hero, or anyone special. He believes he is just doing what he should do, nothing uncommon or unique. For that reason, as well as many others, Hemingway, and numerous others call the old man strong, and a winner. There are a lot of examples in the book where Santiago shows heroism in his personality.

One such example is that, throughout the entire book, the old man does not once complain of pain, frustration, or annoyance, yet from Hemingway's description, it is obvious that he is suffering. Here Hemingway displays how Santiago will not admit to his pain: " 'How do you feel, fish? I feel good and my left hand is better and I have food for a night and day. ' He did not truly feel good because the pain from the cord across his back had almost passed pain and gone into a dullness that he mistrusted". This shows that he is hurting, but that he will not confess that to himself, which is part of what makes him so strong. Another example of Santiago hiding his pain is when the fish is beating at the wire and he thinks to himself, "I must hold his pain where it is.

Mine does not matter. I can control mine. But his pain could drive him mad". Later, while the fish is still beating the wire, the old man says to himself", 'I have no cramps. He " ll be up soon and I can last. You have to last.

Don't even speak of it. ' " Here, he will not even listen to himself think that he may not be able to last. He blocks it out of his mind. This really shows how brave he is. Here is an example of how he refuses to give up on himself and on the fish.

His boat is being attacked by sharks and he thinks to himself, "Now they have beaten me. I am too old to club sharks to death. But I will try it as long as I have the oars and the short club and the tiller". For all of these reasons, the old man is a true hero. People not only call Santiago a hero, but also a winner. Even though he himself thought he was beaten, readers of this book would never call him that.

For the reason that he tried to get that fish as hard as he could, and he would not stop trying until he got it, he was a winner. It did not matter that the fish was a mere skeleton in the end or that he came home feeling very tired and feeling that he lost the battle with the fish. What mattered was that he set out to catch that fish, and that is exactly what he did. The simple fact that he endured so much pain and suffering just for that fish made him a winner, and what's more, the fact that he did all this alone, is what made this old man a hero.

There were many things that made Santiago a true hero and a winner. Hemingway saw him this way, and so did many readers of this book. He really is the ideal human being; someone who is modest, and who won't admit to his pain, and someone who is determined. He calls himself "a strange old man", but really he is a heroic, special old man.