Santiago

Santiago is a very important character in the world of literature. His story gives a lot of insight into his character because of the extreme actions he takes. One of his major characteristics is his strength. He is one of the best fishermen and he knows it. He is never like a bragger about it, but he is very confident in his abilities and can back it up with his history of catching fish. Not only does he have this mental strength that allows him to know what to do and how to react in certain situations, but he also has immense physical strength as well. He manages to hold on to the line with the fish pulling for days on end. At the same time he also has to catch other fish to eat for himself to stay alive out on the sea. Through the course of the novel Santiago makes a realization that he has accomplished a lot in his life and he can finally rest. This is really him finishing the final chapter to his life. The trip out to sea that the novel describes seems to be his final actions that can conclude his life. In the story he also displays his independence. Though he likes having the boy around while he works, he can be by himself and still accomplish a lot of things. After thinking about the ending of the novel again, I came to the conclusion that Santiago has died at the very end when he is dreaming of the lions. This is because he always thinks about the lions at major times in his life and it seems that this represents him being at peace. If he has truly died, it is as if the events of the novel are what made him realize that his life can come to a close after everything that he has done. The death of Santiago really captures how simple events can cause a person to make such a major realization.