The Old Man And The Sea Santiago Heroism

“The Old Man and the Sea,” by Ernest Hemmingway, is a story about a hero’s journey. Santiago, an unlucky fisherman before the time of motorized fishing boats, wishes to break his circle of bad luck in order to survive. In and around Cuba, Santiago uses his intelligence, relationship with nature, and experience to catch a fish. Once he hooks a marlin, he goes on a relentless, and excruciating battle with his “brother” (Hemmingway, 75). After Santiago wins the battle against the fish, he losses the war against the sharks who “mutilated” (Hemmingway 103) the marlin. Once Santiago arrives home, all that he has to show is the 40-foot-long carcass. Santiago emerged successful on his journey because he broke his circle of bad luck, performed to the best of his ability, and he was too tough on himself.

On luck, Santiago states “every day is a new day” (32) and “when luck comes you are ready” (32). Santiago has nothing to lose because he has already been on 80 plus day droughts. On the topic of “nothing to lose” Santiago states “you are killing me, fish, the old man though. But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills who” (92). Santiago shows that the marlin is his brother; the marlin is equal to Santiago and that Santiago has absolutely nothing to lose. One may argue that Santiago did not break his circle of bad luck because he did not complete the transaction. Agreeing on the idea that he did not gain an economic benefit from catching the fish, Santiago still caught a fish. The fact is that Santiago is responsible for the care-tacking of the fish.