Hero of the Novel The hero of the novel is an old man. His name is Santiago. He is a born fisherman. He lives in a coastal village near Havana. He is not a common angler. He hooks big fish like Dolphin, Marlin and Shark. He is strong and gaunt. His eyes are of sea colour. He has no relations and lives alone. A boy, Manolin looks after him. He fishes in Gulf Stream with the help of a small skiff. He has simple and cheap fishing apparatus. The boy, Manolin helps him in fetching the apparatus to and from his shack. His shack is made made of stur sturdy dy fibre fibred d guano guano.. There There is a table table,, a chair chair,, a bed bed covered with newspapers and an army blanket in his shack. He has decorated the walls of his shack with the pictures of Jesus Christ and Virgin of Cobre. His shirt as well as the sail of his skiff is patched with floor sack. His sail is so tattered that the writer call calls s it “The “ The flag flag of perma permane nent nt defeat defeat”. ”. The The peop people le call call him him “salao” salao” because of his continuous hard luck. He has been without fish for eighty-four days. For the first forty days the boy, Manolin was was with with him but then then his parent parents s send send him to anoth another er boat boat because they have become fed up with his skiff that always returns empty. The boy Manolin loves him very much and does not want to leave him but he is bound to obey his parents. Now he tries to help the old man by serving him with food, beer and sardines (for bait). The old man is an ordinary sailor but the light of determination in his eyes makes him someone special. He calls himself “A “A Strange Old Man”. Man”. He is no doubt a strange old man so far as his courage and endurance is concerned. After eighty-four desperate days of fruitless struggle he is still ready to test his luck and to go fishing to regain his reputation as a successful fisherman and also to remo remove ve the slur slur of bein being g Sala Salao. o. Foll Follow owin ing g are are some some of the the important aspects of his character that make him hero of the novel and representative of the whole human race: •
His loneliness: Santiago, the hero is leading a life of loneliness. He is leading his life life cour courag ageo eous usly. ly. He has form formed ed the the habit habit of talk talking ing to himself himself overco overcome me his feeling feeling of lonelin loneliness. ess. He though thoughtt aloud aloud and talked to himself to console and comfort himself. He has put the photograph of his wife under his clean shirt in the corner because it makes him too lonely. His cry during the heroic struggle, “I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this” indicates his feeling. He talks to sea, to fish and to the bird.
The writer wants to show that need of a companion is natural. A man can live alone but cannot avoid feeling lonely. •
His passion of love: The The old old man man is kind kind hear heartted and and lovi loving ng by natur ature. e. His behaviour with the boy indicates his love. He even loves the birds that could not catch any fish. He invites a bird to take rest in his skiff. He thinks that fish are man’s brother. brother. He feels sorry for the huge Marlin, as he says when he was trying to beat the fish he says
His expertise: The old man is not only a fisherman par excellence but also a confident explorer of the sea. He is one of those very few people who stand in no need of the conventional apparatus like a compass or a wireless set for guidance. He can locate his position in any part of the sea with the help of trade wind. When the fish drags him into the high seas, he is not at all afraid. Another fisherman in his place would have cut off the line and sailed back, but he says, “Fish I will stay with you until I am dead”. dead”. He is so daring not because of stupidity but because of his sound knowledge and his well placed confidence. •
His sense of humour: The conversation between Santiago and Manolin is lighthearted and perfectly enjoyable. His address to the bird especially his remarks “what the birds are coming to,” his taunts and threats to his own left hand. His promises to say, “Our Fathers and Hail Mary’s” as well as his remarks “consider them said” are all very amusing. He says to the second shark, “Go and see your friend or may be it’s your mother,” and he says to himself “you talk too much old man,” are all humorous.
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His Reveries: The old man is alone on the sea. The boy Manolin has been taken away from him and he has no radio to bring him baseball or music. Quite naturally, he takes to self-communing. His deliberations sometimes become his reveries or a vocal vocal stre stream am of the the subcon subconsc sciou ious. s. Altho Althoug ugh h talk talkin ing g durin during g fish fishin ing g is injudicious yet he cannot help doing so. He talks to the bird that alights upon his his line line to take take rest, rest, to the the hand hand as it cram cramps ps.. His His conv convers ersat atio ion n on these these occasions is amusing and witty and at the same time thought provoking.
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His dreams: The writer has employed symbolism to convey his message completely.
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His struggle: His optimism: His unscathed pride: His symbolic symbolic significance: significance: His sense sense of religion: religion: His His past past memo emories ries:: His con confide fidenc nce: e: His reso resollutio ution: n:
