From the vicious mackerel sharks to the kind and thoughtful Manolin, the characters in Hemingway’s 'The Old Man and the Sea' speak to every element of the human condition.
Santiago is an aging Cuban fisherman who struggles against nature and his own limitations to catch a giant marlin.
Young apprentice and friend
Manolin
Loyal, hopeful, caring
Manolin is a devoted young boy who once fished alongside Santiago and cares deeply for him, representing hope and loyalty as he supports the old man through his struggles. His faith in Santiago serves as a counterbalance to the old man's despair over his long streak of bad luck.
Antagonist
The Marlin
Majestic, strong, noble
The marlin is a magnificent fish that Santiago battles over three days, symbolizing the ultimate challenge and the beauty of nature.
Rating
Rating:
4.0/5
Continue down for all the characters to The Old Man and the Sea
B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.
The cast of characters in “The Old Man and the Sea” is small but significant, each contributing to the novella’s themes of struggle, perseverance, and isolation, and to a lesser extent, community. While the main focus is on Santiago and his journey, a few other characters play supporting roles, enriching the narrative and its meaning.
Much can be interpreted about the characters through the way Hemingway wrote their speech and descriptions. The male characters who carry this book are simple. They live basic lives and spend their days fulfilling their most immediate needs. The village is not a rich one, and many of the residents are poor.
Santiago
Role: Protagonist.
Key Info: Struggles with a marlin, a symbol of human endurance, a poor old fisherman.
An old fisherman, proud and resilient, who battles against a giant marlin.
Background: Santiago is an old Cuban fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish in eighty-four days. He is determined to end his unlucky streak and prove his worth as a fisherman.
Personality: Santiago is stoic, humble, and has quiet dignity. His determination and willpower define him, especially as he battles the marlin for three days.
Development: Santiago’s arc is one of perseverance. Although his body weakens in his battle against the marlin, his spirit and dignity remain strong.
Significance: Santiago embodies the human spirit’s endurance. He stands for struggle, dignity, and respect for nature. His battle with the marlin reflects the ongoing fight against adversity, and his losses emphasize life’s impermanence.
Santiago represents a universal human struggle. His journey with the marlin is a metaphor for life’s challenges. In a way, Santiago’s not just an old fisherman. He stands for something more profound—the battle we all face against the hard things in life. The marlin is his great challenge, just as we all have ours. Santiago shows us that winning isn’t what matters most; the fight itself counts. Through his inner reflections and physical trials, Santiago’s character shows that life’s true measure is not in victory but in the grace with which one faces defeat.
Manolin
Role: Santiago’s apprentice and loyal friend.
Key Info: Young and caring boy, eager to learn from and devoted to Santiago.
A devoted young boy, hopeful for and loyal to Santiago, his old mentor.
Background: Manolin is the boy who looks after Santiago. Though his parents won’t let him fish with the old man anymore, he still helps, brings him food, and cares for him. He loves Santiago, and it shows in the small things he does.
Personality: Manolin is full of hope and kindness. He’s young, but he sees Santiago’s worth when others don’t. His heart is set on learning from the old man, and he never stops believing in him.
Development: Manolin does not change much in the book. He remains steadfast in his care for and support of Santiago.
Significance: Manolin matters because he’s the future. He’s the one who will keep Santiago’s ways alive. In him, there’s hope that the struggle will continue and the lessons learned won’t be lost. Something in his faith in Santiago says the legacy of the past will endure.
Manolin represents youthful optimism and loyalty. His role in “The Old Man and the Sea” balances off Santiago’s isolation, and by offering support to Santiago, he takes up the baton from the past generation. Manolin’s belief in Santiago shows a deep respect for wisdom and experience, even in the face of failure. His desire to learn and continue fishing with Santiago suggests that he gains the vital lesson of appreciating struggle and perseverance.
The Marlin
Role: Santiago’s adversary, a symbol of nature’s majesty.
Key Info: Massive fish, noble, symbolic of beauty and strength.
A majestic fish, fierce and noble, embodying the struggle of nature that challenges Santiago’s spirit and will.
Background: The marlin is the large fish Santiago hooks and battles for three days. Its size and strength make it a formidable opponent, and Santiago admires it for its beauty and dignity.
Personality: Although the marlin is a fish and not a character in a traditional sense, it is imbued with nobility and grace. It is Santiago’s equal in the struggle, and the fisherman refers to it as his “brother.”
Development: In its struggle against Santiago, the marlin evolves from a simple fish to catch into a symbol of Santiago’s ultimate test of strength and endurance.
Significance: The marlin represents Santiago’s greatest challenge and serves as a metaphor for the unattainable beauty and success that, once captured, are subject to the destructive forces of life.
The marlin stands as a representation of natural beauty and strength. Its role in the story transforms the battle between man and fish into a profound encounter between equals. Santiago’s deep respect for the marlin reflects Hemingway’s broader exploration of man’s relationship with nature—one of admiration and violent rivalry. The fish’s ultimate destruction by the sharks underscores the fleeting nature of success and the inevitability of decay, suggesting that all of life’s victories are transient.
The Sharks
Role: Antagonists, symbols of destruction.
Key Info: Mako and shovel-nose sharks that destroy Santiago’s catch.
Hungry marauders of the sea, mindless and destructive, that strip away the fruits of Santiago’s labor, leaving only loss in their wake.
Background: The sharks appear after Santiago catches the marlin, drawn by the scent of its blood. They attack the marlin, tearing it apart as Santiago struggles to fend them off.
Personality: The sharks are mindless and aggressive, representing the destructive forces of nature. Unlike the marlin, they are depicted as predators that devour without respect.
Development: The sharks become more than scavengers; they symbolize the inevitability of loss and destruction, no matter how hard Santiago fights.
Significance: The sharks represent the forces that undo human achievement. Santiago’s inability to stop them emphasizes the theme of the fragility of success and the inevitability of defeat in “The Old Man and the Sea.”
The sharks serve as a stark counterpoint to the marlin. While Santiago views the marlin as a worthy adversary, the sharks are depicted as mindless forces of destruction. However, he grudgingly acknowledges that they are part of the natural order. Their consumption of Santiago’s hard-won prize reflects the harsh reality that even the greatest triumphs are vulnerable to being undone. Hemingway uses the sharks to highlight that success is ephemeral and inescapable natural forces erode human effort, reinforcing the meditation on struggle and loss in “The Old Man and the Sea.”
Joe DiMaggio
Role: Santiago’s role model
Key Info: Famous baseball player whose perseverance through pain inspires Santiago.
A baseball legend, a beacon of strength and perseverance, who inspires Santiago to endure his hardships with grace and grit.
Background: Joe DiMaggio is a legendary baseball player for the New York Yankees who never appears directly in “The Old Man and the Sea” but is constantly in Santiago’s thoughts. Santiago reveres him for his ability to play through injury.
Personality: DiMaggio is depicted as a symbol of strength and grace under pressure. Santiago’s admiration for him reflects his desire to endure pain and hardship with dignity.
Development: DiMaggio remains an inspirational figure throughout “The Old Man and the Sea,” embodying the perseverance that Santiago draws on during his struggle with the marlin.
Significance: DiMaggio inspires Santiago by representing that true greatness is achieved through enduring pain and adversity.
To Santiago, Joe DiMaggio is more than just a baseball player—he symbolizes resilience and excellence. Santiago’s frequent reflections on DiMaggio’s ability to play through pain mirror his struggle to overcome his physical limitations while fighting the marlin. In this way, DiMaggio is an aspirational figure, representing the ideal of human perseverance in the face of hardship.
Perico
Role: Minor character, Santiago’s helper
Key Info: Kind and helpful, he brings Santiago newspapers.
A kind-hearted man, whose small acts of generosity bring warmth and friendship to Santiago’s lonely life.
Background: Perico is a fellow villager in “The Old Man and the Sea” who gives Santiago newspapers, allowing him to keep up with baseball and the outside world despite his isolation.
Personality: Perico is kind-hearted and generous. Though his role is small, he contributes meaningfully to Santiago’s life.
Development: Perico doesn’t change throughout the story, but his small acts of kindness show the importance of community and support.
Significance: Perico’s role, though minor, adds to the theme of quiet, unnoticed generosity. His help reminds us that small gestures can make a big difference in someone’s life.
Perico represents the kind of unspoken support that surrounds Santiago. He may not be central to the story, but he connects the old man to the world by bringing Santiago newspapers. Through Perico, we see how even the smallest contributions from others can have a lasting impact, reminding us of the unseen kindnesses that bolster us when we need them most.
Martin
Role: Minor character; café owner and Santiago’s helper.
Key Info: Quietly helps Santiago by providing food.
The quiet café owner, a silent supporter whose simple kindness nourishes Santiago’s body and spirit.
Background: Martin is the owner of the café in Santiago’s village. Though he doesn’t appear much in the story, he helps Santiago by providing food for him through Manolin.
Personality: Martin is generous and kind, offering help without seeking praise or recognition.
Development: He remains steady, quietly offering help without seeking anything in return.
Significance: Martin’s quiet generosity highlights the theme of community support. Though his role is minor, his help is essential to Santiago’s survival.
Martin’s character reminds us of the importance of quiet generosity. He doesn’t show his kindness, but his quiet help keeps Santiago going. Like Perico’s, his role reflects the broader theme of how unseen acts of kindness can support struggling people. Santiago’s pride keeps him from asking for help, but Martin offers it anyway, showing the deep bonds that exist within a community.
The Tourist Couple
Role: Symbol of misunderstanding
Key Info: Mistake the marlin skeleton for a shark.
Outsiders, oblivious and unaware, whose superficial glance at the marlin’s remains reveals the profound disconnect between true struggle and casual observation.
Background: The tourist couple appears at the very end of the story. They see the skeleton of Santiago’s marlin and mistakenly believe it is a shark.
Personality: The tourists are out of place in Santiago’s world. They see only the surface and miss the deeper meaning behind the marlin’s skeleton.
Development: The tourists don’t change, but their misunderstanding highlights the gap between Santiago’s world and the outside world.
Significance: The tourists’ mistake underscores the theme of misunderstanding and how others often fail to see the true nature of someone’s struggle.
The tourists remind us that the world doesn’t always understand our struggles. They see only the surface—just bones and a ruined fish—but they don’t know the fight that went into catching the marlin. Their misunderstanding speaks to the larger idea that true battles are often unseen by the outside world.
B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.
Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.
