In Arthur Gordon's short story, "The Sea Devil"", the unnamed protagonist is portrayed as an intellectual, patient and persistent character. The unnamed protagonist is a very intellectual person because he demonstrates his intellect when fighting the stingray and outsmarting him. He is pulled into the ocean by a sea devil that is stuck in his casting net on his wrist. When he tries to survive his intellect lacks in helping him, "his brain told him quiet calmly that he could last another forty or fifty (118). When his intellect kicked in by letting the men know he could breathe at least for another forty or fifty seconds, this allowed him to not to panic and be able to devise a plan to survive . He has been trying to use his physical strength to keep him alive for most of the story, but it is only when he realizes "by using his brain could he possibly survive (121). He knows that he has to use his brain to outsmart the ray. It is his only chance of surviving. .

             Not only is the protagonist intellectual but also very patient. He waits for the perfect opportunity to catch fish, but also when face with life or death he waits until his plan works and doesn't panic. The reader first witnesses patients in the protagonist while he is out fishing. He sees a single fish but doesn't launch his net to catch it, "he would wait until he saw two or three close together (117). Many people would catch that one fish, but he shows his patience by waiting for a cluster. This becomes important when face with his final chance for survival. He wraps the rope around a stake which he hopes will cut the rope, if not it will cut him into pieces. Even faced with this frightening situation he doesn't panic, "he waited for the tension to come again "(121). The protagonist was able to follow through with his plan because he is able to wait which allowed him to live. .

             After showing his characteristics of being intellectual and patient, the protagonist turns out to be persistent.