Hemingway's+Heroes

HEMINGWAY'S HEROES

“If one aspect of heroism is to perform great deeds, like Romero, another perhaps the more impressive-is to surmount severe difficulties through a constant exercise of self-disciplining will power” (Leo Gurko 57). Hemingway has a unique style of writing that is known well enough to make his books classics, but his description of a true hero is a unique and easily identifiable definition that some people might not recognize at first glance. In this quote by Gurko, he is talking about two of Hemingway’s characters from his novel //The Sun Also Rises//. This quote shows that Romero was a great hero by being a bullfighter, but the less noticeable hero was a man named Jake, who was a hero by simply living his life.

//The Old Man and the Sea// is another strong example of Ernest Hemingway’s unique use of heroism. The old man in this story, Santiago, sets out by himself to find a fish. Santiago is a simple man, and through his simplicity, he is often referred to as noble and a symbol of Christ. Hemingway uses the old man’s simple style of living to increase the climax of the story when he catches the large fish. It seems like an impossible task for a man of his age that is in not the best physical and mental health to be able to capture and kill such a large animal, but he does, and it makes him a hero by overcoming the odds. Hemingway’s characters are known for showing strong personal commitment in what they are trying to achieve.

Although catching the huge marlin is a great achievement for Santiago, his true heroism shines brighter in ways that may not be so obvious the first time you read the book. Santiago kills the fish he loves which shows tragedy in the book. He becomes a true hero in the style of Hemingway when he accepts the consequences for his actions of killing the fish. The sharks arrive as a consequence to the old man’s actions, and he suffers for them. Through his suffering, Santiago learns he was trying to achieve more than he was capable of, and in turn, finds his place in the world. When the sharks take the last of his prize fish, Santiago is able to understand his defeat and let go of a goal that he realizes, was not made for him.(Burhans31-32)

Hemingway’s heroes show lots of sacrifice. “Besides, he thought, everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive” (Hemingway 106). Santiago knows that his life is a game of give and take. He is willing to sacrifice things and give to the ocean and fish of the sea everything he has, if it means he gets to wake up every day and go out and fish because it what he loves to do. “A man can be destroyed but not defeated” (Hemingway 103). This was a quote made by Santiago as he was fighting for his fish in //The Old Man and the Sea//. He was well aware of his situation with the sharks, and still he was determined, and unwilling to go down without a fight. Hemingway’s characters all possess qualities unlike other heroes. They are not remembered for saving others from near disaster experiences, they were not written to be remembered for grand purposes at all. Hemingway’s true heroes saved themselves.

WORKS CITED

Burhans, Clinton Jr. “Santiago As a Tragic Hero,” in Bloom’s ReViews. Chealsea House, 1999. 30-33. Print. Gurko, Leo. //Ernest Hemingway And The Pursuit of Heroism//. Apollo ed. 1968: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. Print.

"Hemingway, Ernest (Miller) (1899-1961)." //DISCovering Authors//. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. //Student Resource Center - Silver//. Gale. Boyertown Area Sr. High School. 3 June 2010 [&contentSet=GSRC &type=retrieve &tabID=T001 &prodId=SRC-2 &docId=EJ2101100496 &source=gale &srcprod=SRCC &userGroupName=boye83945 &version=1.0]. Web. Hemingway, Ernest. //The Old Man and the Sea//. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.

By: Alissa Janoski