When the young boy offers to sail out to get sardines as bait for Santiago, it is with an air of dignified pride in himself that he refuses by declaring "No. Go and play baseball. I can still row" (14). That same dignity is evident when "the fisherman man fun of the old man and he was not angry" (13) – showing a heroic restraint, not the "grumpiness" or bitterness of a stereotypical old man. Moreover, when he declines Manolin's offer of four baits, accepting only one, he demonstrates the humility of a hero, and recognizes that "he was too simple to wonder when he had attained humility. But he knew he had attained it and he knew it was not disgraceful and it carried no loss of true pride" (15).
In addition, although Santiago has little food because he has not caught any fish for eighty-four days, and has no money because he has no fish to sell, he continues to display his dignity in the midst of these difficulties. He maintains a playful pretence with Manolin that he does have food to eat, and refuses to borrow money for a lottery ticket, insisting, "I try not to borrow. First you borrow. Then you beg" (20). Moreover, when Manolin praises Santiago's supreme fishing skills by suggesting that "the best fisherman is you" (25), Santiago humbly responds, "No. I know others better" (26). Santiago may have no fish, no food, and no money, but he has a hero's pride, dignity and humility in abundance.
Heroes are often renowned for their strength. It is not always a physical strength – although many heroes seem to summon such strength when events necessitate it – but it is frequently endurance, courageous persistence, and strength of mind, that when allied even with whatever limited physical strength exists, can appear almost superhuman. Santiago possesses this strength of heroes. As he expresses, "he could beat anyone if he wanted to badly enough" (68).
