Who Is Santiago A Hero

During the early days of my childhood, Spider-Man was my favorite superhero and role model. Whenever I watched the movies, I was dazzled by his web-slinging skills, restoring order in the Big Apple, and dual personality. If a problem occurred to me, I would think of what Spider-Man would do. I would also remember what Uncle Ben had said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” All of these factors molded me into a unique person. In addition, Spider-Man helped me to achieve greater things in life. Although not all heroes are superhuman or supernatural, they can really impact a person’s life positively. In the novella, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago and Manolin revere heroes who influence their lives tremendously.
He meets Manolin in his shack to discuss DiMaggio’s upcoming game, and Santiago displays his optimism when he reads yesterday’s paper: “Have faith in the Yankees my son. Think of the great DiMaggio” (17). Santiago clearly supports the New York Yankees, but he also has faith in DiMaggio because DiMaggio’s father is also a fisherman like himself. When Manolin returns from the Terrace, Manolin declares that the Yankees lost. After hearing the announcement, Santiago still maintains the same level of optimism, and he acknowledges DiMaggio’s weaknesses: “That means nothing. The great DiMaggio is himself again” (21). Santiago’s reaction to the Yankees’ defeat is not dramatic, which means he has seen DiMaggio lose games like this before. In addition, Santiago realizes that all heroes have a weakness regardless of their strengths. After Manolin and Santiago converse about Joe DiMaggio, they transition into comparing the teams of Brooklyn and Philadelphia, which leads to the mentioning of Dick Sisler. When Santiago starts talking about the Philadelphia player, Manolin immediately recalls about Sisler’s playing style: “There was nothing ever like them. He hits the longest ball I have ever seen” (21). Both Manolin and Santiago are amazed at Dick Sisler’s world-famous home run because they are awestruck by such athletic prowess. In addition, Santiago and Manolin are astonished by how different teams such as New York, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia produce spectacular athletes. While Manolin has inspiration from legendary baseball players, his ultimate hero happens to be his guru