Santiago

I think that Santiago is a great role model for people. Although he was old, he never gave up hope and he never relied on anybody for help. He knew how to take care of himself and not be dependent, which I think is a good skill to have. Even though he went an extremely long time without catching a fish, he never gave up. I also really like that about him. Santiago is courageous, strong-willed, and proud. Other fishermen at the dock would make fun of Santiago and call him “unlucky”, but Santiago ignored them and did what he wanted. Santiago had a lot of faith in himself and in the sea. I think that people should learn to be just as motivated as Santiago was when it comes to situations like his. For example, his eighty-seven day streak of not catching a fish is the same situation as not doing well in a class or sport. I think people should learn that they do not have to give up, they could just keep trying. If someone was to fail a test or get bad grades, they should keep trying and have faith that they would get better. But I think that most people these days think that after one flunked test or one bad grade, it’s over. They do not consider that maybe if they kept trying they would get better. I think people should really look up to Santiago for that trait. Another reason Santiago is a role model is that he ignores what others are saying and he does not let it get to him. I know a big problem in school is bullying. A lot of the time, bullying ends in a fight or in tears. But if people could just ignore all the comments and bullying, there would not be a problem. The bullying would eventually stop if the victim showed their offender that the words did not hurt them.