Research paper on Ernest Heminway's The Old Man and the Sea(Santiago as a Hemingway Hero)

Santiago: The Hemingway Hero

        The book Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is one like most Hemingway books. It contains, like most of his works, hidden meanings in the texts. Not only that, but the main character is one of an adventurous, glamorous lifestyle, much like Hemingway himself. Santiago, the main character of The Old Man and the Sea, has been debated over the topic as to whether or not he is actually worthy to be deemed a "Hemingway Hero."

The "Hemingway Hero"

        In each of Hemingway's books, he puts uniqueness in each main character that remains true throughout all his books. This uniqueness is a combination of qualities that place the character in a category of a "Hemingway Hero." What exactly are these qualities? Well, first off, a Hemingway Hero depends wholly on himself, and is completely self-reliant: a loner at heart. "Participating in Nature makes the Hemingway Hero feel alive and refreshed, for nature offers him an opportunity to test his skills through forms of competition, such as hunting and fishing," (Dwiggins). Therefore, a Hemingway Hero also enjoys nature, as far as to the point of coinciding or even seeming to rely on Natures Company. It is usually a male, who would face danger willingly because he believes that his worth as a man is measured by his ability to endure. A hero made by Hemingway views personal violence (healthy competition between two worthy

opponents) as something necessary and beneficial to life. The Hemingway Hero, by competing with an equally skilled opponent, can prove his manhood through such testing of endurance, courage, strength, and spirit. He faces Death as any human, however, regards a fight to the death as an ultimate challenge of his worth, and advances to face such challenges with supreme dignity. Although the...