Trace Out the Major Symbols in “The Old Man and the Sea.”
The Old Man and the Sea is a notable literary work by Ernest Hemingway. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Old Man and the Sea.
Answer
Trace out the significant symbols in “The Old Man and the Sea.”
or Comment on the Major symbol in the novel “The Old Man and the Sea.”
“The Old Man and the Sea” (1952) is a great novella by the Nobel Prize-winning (1954) American author Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961). The novella is rich in meaning. Virtually every element operates on two levels, revealing a deeper symbolic meaning beneath its literal function. The novella is an allegory, elevating the story of Santiago’s epic struggle with the marlin to humankind’s universal struggle for survival.
Here are some major symbols in “The Old Man and the Sea.”
Marlin: The marlin is the giant, 18-foot fish that battles with Santiago in the middle of the ocean for three days and three nights. The marlin symbolizes the majesty of nature. The marlin is a formidable opponent. Pulling Santiago’s skiff for several days proves its sheer size, strength, and tenacity. Santiago admires the marlin’s beauty and endurance. Though he loves it, he must kill it. Struggling against such an opponent brings out the best in an individual—courage, endurance, and love.
At the same time, because Santiago comes to see the marlin as an alter-ego—he identifies the marlin as male and imagines the fish is old—the marlin comes to represent Santiago himself as well. The old man says,
Now we are joined together and have been since noon. And no one to help either of us.
Santiago’s struggle with the marlin is, in fact, a struggle with himself. It is not a struggle of strength but rather of endurance and a refusal to accept defeat.
The Sharks: The sharks are Santiago’s fiercest antagonists. Although Santiago manages to kill most of them, they tear apart the marlin’s body. The sharks symbolize the brute force of destruction. Santiago fights off the shark till the very end and manages to bring the skeleton of the giant marlin to the shore, symbolizing his undefeatable spirit. Hemingway relates,
A man can be destroyed but not defeated