Analysis Of The Complexity Of Santiago's Character In The Old Man And The Sea

Ernest Hemingway was a myth in his own time, and a myth in American literature. He was a glamorous public hero whose style of writing and living was probably more imitated than any other writers in human memory. Among the famous literary characters that he created, Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea is often regarded as the representative of his "code heroes".However, the idea of death permeates or lies behind all of the characters' actions in Hemingway's novels. This thesis, in analyzing the protagonist Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea, tries to find the psychological projection of Hemingway himself on Santiago's character, and try to solve the enigma of Hemingway's suicide.The first chapter makes a general overview of the critical reputation of The Old Man and the Sea.The second chapter discusses the diverse aspects of Santiago's character, centering on Santiago as a "code hero", as a psychological cripple, as a tragic figure and as a Christ-like figure.As a "code hero", Santiago demonstrates "grace under pressure". He contends with a force he knows it is futile to battle with, but he keeps on fighting because he believes that "a man is not made for defeat... A man can be destroyed but not defeated". As a psychological cripple, Santiago is characterized by overt aggression, sexism, passive aggression and feminization.As a tragic figure, Santiago, who seeks to regain wholeness after the trauma of severe wounds of body and mind, closely parallels the tragic classic hero who seeks reconciliation and harmony after the great blow of catastrophe. As a Christ-like figure, Santiago plays a double representational role. Besides being a Christ figure, he is also a follower of Christ, an acolyte.Chapter three deals with the psychological projection of Hemingway himself on Santiago. It discusses Hemingway's gender training, religious belief and death awareness.The fourth chapter reaches the conclusion that the diverse aspects of Santiago's character surely reflect the complexity of Hemingway's own character, and help to explain the enigma of Hemingway's suicide.