Blog #31 Character Analysis: Manolin (The Old Man and the Sea)

The other main character in the book is the young boy, or Manolin. The boy is very important to the book because he is the old man’s support system throughout the book. His appearance is not really described in the book mainly because the book focuses on Santiago. The boy loves to go fishing with the old man. He learns a lot of things from Santiago when they are out at sea together. When the boy’s father banned him from fishing with Santiago (Hemingway 9), the boy was devastated, but he really did not have any other choice. He could not fish with the old man anymore because the old man was not having any luck fishing lately and bringing in no money. The boy still helped Santiago carry all of his equipment to and from the dock. Each morning the boy would come to the old man’s house and wake up with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. They would talk for awhile and then they would head out to sea. Manolin is only present in the beginning and the very end of the book. He is almost like a son to the old man. Santiago is basically his mentor. He is probably one of the most important characters in the book because he never gives up on the old man. Even though he is not allowed to fish with Santiago, he is completely devoted to him. Each day he makes sure that the old man has everything he needs. He will start a fire, make him dinner, cover him up, make him comfortable, listen to him, talk about sports, and loves him (Hemingway 18). The old man wishes for Manolin many times while he is at sea because I think he sees a lot of himself through Manolin. I think the old man wishes he was as young and capable as Manolin is and that is why Santiago teaches so many of his skills to the boy. 

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. Cuba. Scribner’s Publishing. 1952