Was the old man heroic or stoic?

I haven't thought of the Old Man since a few days after I submitted my first post. For me, a beginner of English novel, I moved on and started another novel already. I know a little about Earnest Hemingway. When I go further in my study I’d like to read more his works and even his life.

Was the old man heroic or stoic? I think it over. Here is just my personal opinion.

The old man has some qualities of a hero. His courage and fight is worthy a title of hero. The boy and old fishermen in the book respected him a lot, even as the best fisherman. The old man had his own comments and attitude about this; ‘I know many tricks and have resolution’ and ‘I know some (fishermen) better’. He was someone like a hero but among our friendly neighbours.

He did fear and feel and suffer the pain in his body. His most important merit is always being hopeful. Intense is the pain but it will ends. The old man bravely faced and fought against it and recovered after it. He never let the shadow of the pain cast upon his head too long. Pain always companies the life. When we admit it and learn to do with it we should remember to cheer up as soon as possible.

I also have an idea from the old man. It sounds a bit funny. When we were young we had our idol and did our best to imitate him. Sometimes this stimulated our potential and we did something impossible. When we grew up and got experience we forgot our idol gradually. And we seldom found a suitable idol again. Sometimes I feel weaker than I was, having no idea what to do. On the contrary, the old man was encouraged by his favorite baseball player in his mind even at his much older age than we are. Idol may shed light before us in the darkness. Can we apply this to us? Be a little childish, and find our idol again, and get strength to go through difficulty?