Character Analysis Worksheet

Character Analysis: 'The Old Man and the Sea'

Read the excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's 'The Old Man and the Sea' below. Then, answer the questions that follow, focusing on the character of Santiago.

He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days of not taking a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally *salao*, which is the worst form of unlucky, and the boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. The sad thing was that the boy believed them, and the boy loved the old man, but he was afraid of his parents. Many of the fishermen made fun of the old man and it made him sad. But he did not show it. He was too old to show it. He was a simple man, but he was wise. His eyes were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated. He was thin and gaunt with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck, and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the lines. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as the erosions in a dry gulch. Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.

1. Which of the following best describes Santiago's initial character trait as presented in the passage?

2. Santiago's eyes are described as being the same color as the   and are both cheerful and  . This suggests a connection to nature and an enduring spirit.

3. How does the author use physical description to reveal aspects of Santiago's character?

4. The boy's parents told him Santiago was 'salao' because Santiago was a cruel fisherman.

5. Analyze how Santiago's internal and external conflicts are introduced in this passage. Provide specific textual evidence to support your analysis.