Code Hero
Hemingway
character or code hero himself would never speak of a code. He is a man of
action rather than a man of theory. We call him the code hero because he
represent a code according to which the hero, by observing it, would be able to live properly in the world of
violence, disorder, and misery to which he has been introduced and which he
inhabits. The code hero thus offers certain principles of honor, courage and
endurance which in a life of tension and pain make a man a man and enable him
to conduct himself well in the losing battle-that is life. Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea is the code hero at his best.
Santiago a Hemingway Code Hero
Santiago
brings us the message that while a man may manner of his losing. After Santiago
had caught a huge marlin, the sharks came and ate it up. But Santiago did catch
the marlin, he did fight well, he did all he could and it was a lot, and at the
end he was happy. The great thing is not the victory but the struggle.
Santiago
is the embodiment of all that is noble in life and, as such, he is perhaps the
most perfect of all the Hemingway heroes. He is an old man, defeated according
to his society but still full of confidence in himself. His only fault is that
with old age comes a loss of strength, but all the knowledge is still with him.
Another
factor which illustrates fully the essence of the code hero is Santiago’s
supreme courage in the face of overwhelming odds. With his strength gone and
his mental powers diminishing with old age, the old man’s fight with the great
fish assumes the role of a supreme test of his greatness. His courage is echoed
in his simple words:'' Fish....I'll stay with you until I am dead''. He has hooked
the biggest fish he has ever seen or heard of; consequently, it was to be the
greatest test of his skill. This naturally involves a great deal of suffering
on the part of the code hero and the great pain that Santiago endures serves to
emphasize the strength of his character.
The
final element of a code hero seen in Santiago is his determination to fight against
the sharks until the end. Santiago never loses his courage and he fights until
the better end, even though he knows that there is no hope to bring in his
fist. He is struck down by forces bigger than a single man can combat, but he
leaves behind a code of honour and virtue which bring a beauty and nobility to
his loss, and also, he has set a great example of courage for others to strive
after and follow.
Thus
Santiago stands as a great and noble example of Hemingway code hero.
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