Throughout history there have been many examples of people who have defied all odds to achieve their goals. These people succeed because they believe in themselves and will not give up regardless of the cost. These traits can be seen in the character Santiago in Ernest Hemingways novel The Old Man And The Sea. Santiago shows that faith; faith in devices, faith from past experiences and faith in luck bring on his courage.
Santiago displays bravery when fishing the great marlin due to the confidence he has in his equipment. He knew "how well the skiff sailed"(Hemingway 119) and that allowed him to take greater risks and not to worry about sinking. With a dependable boat Santiago was able to dedicate his full attention to fishing the marlin and staying alive. Along with the stable skiff, Santiago found courage in the tools he used to defend himself. To protect against sharks Santiago would often say "get a good killing lance and always have it on board"(Hemingway 125). With a powerful weapon to defend himself with, he had the courage to sail far out into the ocean to track fish without worry. Santiago finds courage in knowing his equipment is effective and will not fail.
Santiago's past experiences give him courage. For example, "to give himself confidences" (Hemingway 68) Santiago would remember "the time in the tavern at Casablanca when he had played the hand game with the great Negro"(Hemingway 69). This memory gave Santiago confidence because it was an occasion in his life when he persevered for days to defy all odds and beat the great Negro at the hand game. The memory made Santiago believe that he could persevere again and capture the marlin. Santiago's experiences also allow him to ignore the effect exhaustion. So when Santiago started "seeing black spots before his eye's"(Hemingway 87) he knew that "They were normal" (Hemingway 87) and would not be a permanent symptom.