Old Man And The Sea

In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Hemmingway compares the main character Santiago to a Christ-like hero. He creates the comparison in several ways. One way, was during Santiago's three day battles with the 18 foot marlin. Another wasy, was at at the end of the novel, when he describred Santiago' walk to his hut.

One test that Santiago went through during his three day battle with the marlin was when he got hurt. He cut his hand, his foot and he curt his back. The same type of injuries happened to Christ when they stoned him and whipped him. Another test Santiago went through during the three day battle was when the sharks came for the marlin. This can be compared to when Christ was in the desert and was being tempted by the devil.

At the end of the novel, Santiago carried the mast of his boat to the top of the hill where his hut was. During the walk, Santiago fell a number of times. This could also be compared to when Christ had to carry the cross up the hill. When he fell asleep for the last time in the story, he fell asleep with his arms stretched out and palms up. Just like when Christ was nailed to the cross.

From the details and comparisons listed above, one can conclude that the main character Santiago is a Christ-like hero, because he went through some of the same tests that Christ did. Even though Santiago is fictional character, he can still be compared to Christ through details of the story.