An Analysis of the Heroic Characteristics in The Old Man And The Sea ABSTRACTHemingway was one of the most famous novelists in America. He created a perfect image of Code Hero: Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea which won Hemingway Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most influential and far-reaching novels of the literary treasure of the world. Its so widely-read that people consider that “Whatever there is an intellectual, people know Hemingway and nobody knows Hemingway without knowing his works The Old Man and the Sea”. Why the novel is so widely read? Why is it so influential and why is it so loved by the people of different colors and different nations? Surely many factors may contribute to the success of the novel. But the main factor, no doubt, is the touching and unforgettable portrait of the immortal artistic figure, Santiago, a representative of Code Hero. In the introduction of the essay, I will make a brief description about the contents of this novel and point out the main idea of the novel. The content of the essay is to analyze the characteristics of Code Hero. And then I will set out framework of the essay. The first part of the body is the background information. Through the introduction to Hemingways legend life, we find some common points between the author and the old man, and the most familiar point is that both of them have the spirit of Code Hero. In the second part of the body, I will portray the process of his catching Marlin and fighting with the sharks. Then I will analyses the spirit of Code Hero. The spirit is concentrated on four areas: First, never give up hopes in any difficult conditions; secondly, keep daring spirit and never admit defeat in the process of fighting; thirdly, behave heroically in the actual battle; and last, endure the loneliness in the long process of the fighting. The last part of the essay is the conclusion. This paper will analyze the image of the old man, reveal the characteristics of Code Hero, and advocate the spirit of never giving up. KEY WORDS：The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway, Code Hero, SantiagoOUTLINE AbstractIntroduction I.Background Information 1.1 The introduction to the author 1.2 The introduction to the novel background II.The Introduction to The Old Man and the SeaIII. The study of the heroic characteristics 3.1 Everlasting hope for the future 3.2 Unyielding spirit for facing the challenge3.3 Heroic behavior in the actual battle Conclusion IntroductionThe Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952 and was one of Hemingways most successful novels which won Hemingway Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The novel writes a very simple story which chronicles the adventure of Santiago, based on a true story of a Cuba fisherman. After eighty-four days without catching a fish, Santiago, an old Cuban hooks a giant fish. For two days and two nights the old man holds on while the fish pulls him further and further. Finally he kills the fish and ties it to his skiff. Almost at once, brutal sharks begin to take his price away. He struggles against the sharks with the harpoon, the oar, the knife, the short club. The sharks eat all but the bones of the fish. Half dead with exhaustion, he brings the skeleton home and makes his way to bed and dreams of his golden time. In the novel, Hemingway creates an immortal artistic figure, Santiago, a representative of Code Hero. Santiago is a poor fisherman who lives alone and has finally lost all will to live. Every day is the same dull, monotonous routine. His wife had died; his only comfort is a boy. The chief point about Santiago is that he behaves perfectly and honorably, with great courage and endurance. While losing to the sharks the giant fish he has caught, he comes with the message that while man may grow old, and be wholly down on his luck, he can still dare to stick to the rules, persist when he is destroyed, and thus by the manner of his losing to win his victory. I also want to point out that the novel not only describes the fight between human and nature and fate but also indicates Hemingways Code Hero getting to its summit. Although the old man in the novel is weak and in the grim fate of pressure, he also shows the spirit of Code Hero. This paper will analyze the image of the old man, reveal the characteristics of Code Hero, and advocate the spirit of never giving up. I.Background Information1.1 The introduction to the authorErnest Hemingway (1896-1961) was a novelist and short story writer who became one of the best-known American authors in his century. He was famous for his experience and unique artistic style all over the world. According to The Old Man and the Sea (1952), Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Hemingway centers his novels on personal experience and affections. He could not cope with post-war America, and therefore he introduced a new type of character in writing called the “Code Hero”. Hemi