The short novel, The Old and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, is the story of an old fisherman, Santiago, regaining his pride. Santiago has gone without catching a fish for 84 straight days and is considered salao, (Hemingway, 9) having the worst luck. Mark Schorer, Leo Gurko, Keiichi Harada, and Clinton Burhans each have different ideas on what qualities make a hero, yet they all agree that Santiago is indisputably heroic.
Mark Schorer emphasized the mental aspects of Santiago. One of Hemingway's favorite words was "guts," which he defines as behaving "With Grace Under Pressure," the title of Schorer's article. Santiago is very brave. Under great mental strain and through incredible physical battle, Santiago remains strong.
Schorer repeatedly mentions Santiago's relationship with the ocean and its inhabitants. He talks to the fish, the birds, and even, at times, to his hand. He talks to the dolphins beside his skiff:
"They are good," he said. "They play and
make jokes and love one another. They are
our brothers and like the flying fish."
"It is not bad," he said. "And pain does not
"You did not do so badly for something
worthless," he said to his left hand.
"But there was a moment when I could not
His tone in these one-way conversations implies a response. Santiago realizes what he is doing and calls himself crazy, but he does not stop (Hemingway, 43). These conversations with the animals show Santiago's friendship and even love for the animals. The dolphins and the flying fish are his good friends, and he respects the great marlin. Santiago feels sorry for the little birds of the sea because the ocean can be so rough and the birds are so delicate.
Schorer also discusses how many of Hemingway's macho attitudes toward life appear in the story. Santiago manages to push himself too hard, and as a result he destroys himself physically. He becomes a martyr, and the imagery t...