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In American literary history,two ocean novels,Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea,have always been comparatively studied.Much research focuses on the two protagonists,Ahab in Moby Dick and Santiago in The Old Manand the Sea,to praise their heroic spirit,which is shared with other commonly acknowledged heroes.However,unique heroic characteristics of Ahab and Santiago which are tinged with the time flavor are commonly neglected.Enlightenment,which took on different facets in the 19th and 20th centuries,and American social development in different stages contributed a lot to the forming of the two heroic styles.In conclusion,Ahab and Santiago,in the sense of the affirmation of one’s value and the defence of their dignity,are heroes,and meanwhile,their heroic behaviors are adapted to the whole atmosphere of a specific time stage.