Ernest Hemingway had a specific type of character in each and every one of his works of literature. These characters were called the Hemingway Code Heroes. Hemingway Code Heros followed a strict code of behaviors which allowed them to live their life to the fullest. These Heros lived simple lives without all the luxuries that others had. They concentrate on the problem at hand and do not get swayed by outside events. Avoiding intense personal relationships allows the Hero to stay focused. In The Old Man And The Sea, Santiago is considered the Hemingway Code Hero for many reasons.
Santiago lived an extremely simple life, the life of a fisherman. Although sometimes he wished for some of the modern conveniences others had, he was able to do without them. Other fishermen had radios to pass the time while all Santiago had were his thoughts and sometimes the boy. The old man asked for the help of no one, for he did fine without the others. Santiago learned how to make due with the supplies that he had. On the boat while he is battling the mighty fish, he is able to deal with limited food and drink. He realizes he may be out at sea for a long time, so he rationalizes his supplies. Santiago copes with what he has. The sail on his boat is torn and tattered, consisting of countless rags stitched together.
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Although a nicer sail would have been nice he knew that he could get by with the one he has.
Santiago displayed a great deal of grace while under the pressure of catching his great adversary. While battling the marlin he always keeps his eye on the goal, and figures out new ways to get through the tight spots. Even when it seem that all hope is lost, he continues to persevere, so he may achieve his goal. When he is out at sea his hands cramp, and it looks as if he has to give up the fish, but he decides to stick with it in a hope that he may strive through the area of difficulty. His hands finally free up and he continues on his mission, just glad that he did not give up. Sharks attack the marlin on his voyage back to his small town, he works his hardest to keep them away. Santiago finds unique ways to keep them away.
Though some, an example being Holden Caulfield, may seem to be code heroes at first, they don’t have the fundamental qualities that distinguish a hero from a spoiled rich kid. In his case, Caulfield does not showcase courage and endurance, but rather cowardice and idleness when he comes across even the slightest of problems. However, others may fit Hemingway’s definition of a code hero so well that Hemingway himself would be impressed. Harry from “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, Tony Stark, and Chris McCandless all retain the characteristics of Hemingway code heroes. These characteristics, as stated in Hemingway’s definition, are honor, courage, and endurance in the face of chaos, stress, and pain. Harry shows these qualities by remaining stoic and calm even when facing death. When Tony Stark is captured and tortured, he shows that he is a man of honor by staying true to himself and his moral code. Moreover, Chris McCandless endured through all of the suffering he was subject to throughout his life and showing tenacity until the very end. All of these men represent what it truly means to be a code
The Code Hero is present in the majority of Hemingway's novels. Even the young man in Hills Like White Elephants contained many of the characteristics of the Code Hero such as free-willed, individualist, and travel. The individualism comes out in his desire to not have a child.
Hemingway a bright and simple man. A man who writes stories with characters who control their emotions or don’t complain about what’s going on in their life, other wise know as being stoic. People who seem to come to life when they show grace under preasure, have dignity for themselves and are committed to play by the rules. Four characters of Hemingway who show and have all these traits other wise know as the code of honor are Manuel Garcia, Francis Macomber, Ole Anderson, and an Old Waiter who is unnamed.
Maybe, he swims away, dragging the old man and his dinghy along behind. Santiago wishes he had Manolin with him to offer help. As the sun goes down, the marlin continues in the same bearing, and Santiago releases touch base totally. Imparting his determination, Santiago says, "Fish,...I'll stay with you until I am dead" (52). He conveys uncertainty about whether he needs the fish to bounce, expecting to end the fight as quick as could be normal considering the present situation however focusing on that the catch might slip out of the fish's mouth. Reverberating his past purpose however with less conviction, Santiago says, "Fish,...I treasure you and gratefulness all of you that much. In any case, I will kill you dead before this day closes" (54). A touch of flying animal land on the boat, remembering Santiago is relating to the winged creature, the marlin stumbles forward and pulls the old man down, cutting his hand. Cutting down his hand to water to clean it, Santiago sees that the marlin has supported off. He eats a fish he has gotten remembering the finished objective to give him quality for his
... with the great marlin for three days. All of these examples would make some give up and go down in defeat. The destruction does not always have to be physical, ending in death, but crush one emotionally. Santiago showed he was strong and even though the things he faced did bring physical harm and great emotional stress, he refused to be defeated because he had a job to do and had to follow through: “you did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman.” Santiago’s self-pride is not enough for him as he is continuously being inspired by his hero, Joe DiMaggio: "I think the great DiMaggio would be proud of me today." Santiago’s character expresses man can and must rise up and fight things that seem impossible. Not always physically, but with an inner strength and determination.
Even though he is an experienced fisherman, he has gone 48 days without catching a single fish. Due to this, he has acquired the nickname ‘Salao’, which is a form of dreadful unluckiness. He is perceived as being so unlucky that Manolin, his companion, has been forbidden to fish with him. His parents commanded him to fish on another vessel with more success. Through it all, Santiago keeps an optimistic attitude stating, “Only I have no luck anymore. But who knows? Maybe today. Everyday is a new day”. This mindset shows how the character of Santiago is not one who is easily discouraged. He has been coming home everyday for over a month with an empty skiff. Yet, he has not reached the point of defeat, or giving up. He believes everyday is a new day. Not only does he have tremendous optimism, but he also shows a considerable amount of self-confidence. Even though every other fisherman thinks he is wasting his time and unlucky, Santiago goes fishing anyway. He does not picture himself as a being elderly, unlucky, or weak. Instead, he believes that he is equal to any other
Ernest Hemingway’s code hero can be defined as “a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful." The Hemingway Code Hero embodies specific traits shown throughout the plot of a story. In the series of short stories “The Nick Adams Stories” by Ernest Hemingway, the protagonist Nick Adams, slowly begins to develop as a code hero throughout the transversal of the plot. Adams is able to demonstrate courage, honor, and stoicism, while tolerating the chaos and stress of his crazy world.
Trying to reassure yourself, Santiago begins to think and talk to himself. His thoughts revolve around sin. He asks himself, if not a sin to kill the fish, and understands that there is no - not sin, because he was born a fisherman, just as the fish was born fish. The old man thinks that he killed for food. Then he comes to the conclusion that killing the big fish, he was proud, and pride - the sin. Shark he was killed with pleasure, but in this case he was fighting for his life.
He is forced to face reality when he realizes how hard it will be to catch the biggest fish ever to get caught on his line. Santiago believed that complaining will not make things better worse. Even though this was the “tiredest that I have ever been” (89) he seldom complained or showed weakness. He endured pain that people should never have to face and showed courage when things are difficult. Self-pity did not exist in his world because he knew that although he could do some things I can do,”There are plenty of things I can do” (45). Unlike others Santiago was not blessed with a “lucky boat or having enough to eat but he did not complain or make trouble for others. The old man created meaning in his life through fishing, when the fish is mauled by the sharks after its
In the story, Santiago’s bravery is unsurpassed, but it is not until he hooks the “great fish” that we truly see his valor and perseverance. Through Santiago’s actions, Hemingway teaches the reader about bravery and perseverance in the face of adversity. He demonstrates that even when all is lost and seems hopeless, a willful heart and faith will overcome anything. Santiago had lost his “luckiness” and therefore the respect of his village. Through the description of his cabin, we also suspect that Santiago is a widower.
Frequently throughout Hemingway's use of heroes there are two behaviors or types of heroes that he uses, these are the "Hemingway Hero" and the "Code Hero". The Hemingway hero is usually a masculine man who drinks, loves hunts and bullfights, and has war injuries.
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
A Hemingway Code Hero is a character from an Ernest Hemingway novel that follows a particular pattern of how he or she conducts life on a day to day basis. Catherine Barkley from A Farewell to Arms lives with a respect for honor and courage as a Code Hero should. Catherine Barkley is the original code hero of the novel. She has all of the traits of a Hero, and implements them onto Frederic as he matures throughout the story. Catherine’s three main traits that define her as a Hemingway Code Hero are her values of human relationships over materialism, her idealism, and her grace under pressure; she is fearful but not afraid to die.
There is never a simple key to any writer worth much attention, but in the case of Hemingway there is something that looks so like a key… that it cannot escape any informed and thoughtful reader’s notice" (O’Conner 153). Ernest Hemingway was one such author. Very rarely did he summarize statements, therefore the only way to solve his puzzle was to take it apart and examine each components. One of the hidden elements that the reader must analyzie closely is the parallel between Santiago and Jesus Christ. In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway creates connections between Santiago and Jesus Christ that adds religious coloration to the story.
For three long days, the boat is alternating pushes and towed by the huge fish in an almost dream-like state. Only the killing os the fish and the attacking of the sharks interrupt the monotony. The monotony becomes one of the pressures that the old man must endure in order to maintain his grace. However, because Santiago never gives in to the monotony or the depression, he becomes the hero in the story against innumerable odds. His tenacious determination leads him to a sense of hope amongst the monotony and depression.