The Old Man and the Sea: Characters

Santiago – The protagonist of the novella, Santiago is an elderly widowed Cuban fisherman whose “luck” seems to have run out—he hasn’t caught anything in 84 days. Santiago is humble in his dealings with others, yet takes great pride in his work and himself, and is frustrated and embarrassed by his failures. He views his aging body as a kind of betrayer, and fondly remembers his younger days, when he was exceptionally strong and a successful fisherman. Other than fishing, Santiago’s greatest joys are the time he spends with his former apprentice, Manolin, and the time he spends talking about baseball, and, in particular, his favorite player, the “great DiMaggio.” Besides Manolin, Santiago considers his only friends to be the sea, the fish, and the stars. In his conquest over the marlin, Santiago exhibits exceptional determination and endurance in the face of physical and psychological pain. Although he loses the marlin to sharks, the entire struggle constitutes a spiritual triumph in which Santiago emerges as a Christ figure.

Manolin – An adolescent Cuban boy who has fished with Santiago since he was a child, Manolin is Santiago’s devoted apprentice. He cares for Santiago in his old age, and encourages him in his fishing even though Manolin’s parents have forced Manolin to seek out a “luckier” employer. He is Santiago’s only human friend, and looks up to Santiago as a mentor and father-figure. Manolin exemplifies traits of fidelity, selflessness and compassion. He accepts hard work happily, never complaining.

The marlin – The giant, 18-foot fish that battles with Santiago in the middle of the ocean for three days and three nights. Although Santiago hooks the marlin on his first afternoon at sea, the marlin refuses to come to the surface and pulls Santiago farther and farther from land. Santiago admires the marlin’s beauty and endurance, and considers it a “noble” adversary and a brother, telling the fish repeatedly that though he loves him, he must kill him.

The shovel-nosed sharks – Scavengers and little more than swimming appetites, the shovel-nosed sharks are Santiago’s fiercest antagonists. Although Santiago manages to kill most of them, they tear apart the marlin’s body and leave Santiago devastated. While the marlin is portrayed as both an adversary and a noble companion to Santiago, the sharks are portrayed as purely vicious.

Pedrico – Another fisherman in Santiago’s village, Pedrico makes fish traps. Santiago gives him the marlin’s head at the end of the novella in gratitude for supplying him with newspapers that report the baseball scores.

Martin – The owner of the seaside café, the Terrace, where Santiago and other fisherman eat. Martin provides Santiago with meals during his unlucky streak.