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Christian symbolism in Old man and the sea
Christian symbolism in Old man and the sea
Christianity impact on literature
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In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway uses numerous references to exemplify the Biblical Influence on the novel. Ernest Hemingway primarily uses the main character Santiago and Biblical numerical references to portray the Biblical influence presented the novel. Santiago as a Christ figure and numerous references to numbers in comparison to Biblical context, is what allows the religious aspect of The Old Man and the Sea to be seen.
Santiago the main character in The Old Man and the Sea is seen as a major figure in the New Testament. Just as Jesus seen in the New Testament, Santiago teaches others, and willfully undergoes suffering. "The old man taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him…” (Hemingway 10). Santiago teaches Manolin, just as Christ mentored his disciples. Through this Santiago able to be seen as a fisher of men to Manolin a fisherman.”Santiago is Spanish for St. James , Spain's patron saint, who was a fisherman…” (Oliver). Manolin is a nickname for Manuel, which is Spanish for Emmanuel, meaning God with us. Manolin admires the old man and loves him. Jesus taught his disciples instead of
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catching fishes. The parallel between Santiago and Manolin is one of a teacher and disciple relationship. Manolin learns from Santiago not just the tricks of fishing, but everything. Therefore Santiago depicted as Christ is seen as being with one of his disciples Manolin. This relationship between Manolin and Santiago can be directly correlated to Jesus’s relationship with his disciples. “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fisher. And he saith unto them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (King James Bible, Mt. 4:18-19). Manolin and Santiago’s relationship can be seen as Christ’s relationship with his disciples. Manolin is seen providing guidance and direction to towards Santiago by teaching him the basics of fishing, just as Jesus did with his disciples. In The Old Man and the Sea, on numerous occasions Hemingway depicts Santiago’s undergoing suffering in a way that portrays the crucifixion of Christ. Santiago’s awfully injured hands represent the hands of Jesus during his crucifixion. “Ay”, he said aloud. There is no translation for this word perhaps it is just a noise such as a man might make, involuntarily feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood” (Hemingway 107). Santiago’s words are similar to just as Jesus Christ suffered through on the cross, with his nailed and pierced hands. Christ’s crucifixion is referenced once more when Santiago is positioning the straw hat on his head. “He had pushed his straw hat hard down on his head before he hooked the fish and it was cutting his forehead” (Hemingway 46). This portrayal of Santiago can be referenced back to the Crown of Thorns Jesus wore on his head as he was being crucified. As Santiago is on the shore he begins to climb up the hill towards his shack, with a mast upon his shoulders. “ He started to climb again and at the top he fell and lay for some time with the mast across his shoulder. He tried to get up. But it was too difficult and he sat there…”(Hemingway 121). When Santiago makes his way to his shack, he collapses onto his bed with “his arms out straight and the palms of his hands up” (Hemingway 122). Santiago resembles Christ’s struggle to carry his own cross to Calvary and Christ’s position on the cross, Santiago is compared to Christ on multiple occasions, wounded in the palms of his hands,laboring under a mast, wearing straw hat and spread in the position of crucifixion. Santiago and Christ both endure suffering through the symbolism of crucifixion , which is the most distinct way, Hemingway creates the symbolic parallel between one another. Hemingway portrays Biblical influence on the novel through the numbers he mentions. Three, seven and forty are central numbers in the Bible, and Hemingway makes a profound use of them. As the novel begins, Santiago and Manolin have unsuccessfully fished for forty days. “But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao…” (Hemingway 10). Hemingway describes this as a “salao” experience Manolin is facing, which literally translates to the worst form of unlucky. Santiago and Manolins problem of being unable to catch a fish for forty days, can be directly correlated back to Jesus experience of temptation and fasting in the desert. “Then Jesus led up by the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry” (The Holy Bible, Mt. 4:1-2). Both of these men each can be seen as experiencing physical and mental fasting due to their physical hunger for forty days. The number forty can be drawn as well to Moses experience in the desert. “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moss in the flames of the burning bush near Mount sinai”(The Holy Bible, Acts 7:30). Manolin is faced with a physical struggle that Moses and Jesus both experience. This exemplifies the the symbolic meaning of forty in relation with biblical evidence. Hemingway uses the number seven in Manolins experience with fighting off the sharks seven times.
“ The number 7 derives it’s symbolic meaning from the seven day week and from the sabbath as the seventh day.” (Manser). “It stands for the divine, for holiness and/or completeness.” (Manser). The symbolical meaning of seven is shown when God is creating life. “But the seventh day is a sabbath day to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…”(The Holy Bible, Deut 5:14). This Biblical reference can be drawn back to Manolins seven times he fought with the sharks. This can be seen as Manolin’s sense of peace and completeness he experiences after being able to overcome the struggle he has with the sharks. Manolin’s peace after fighting with the sharks seven times, can be alluded to God’s completeness of creating earth, when he rests on the seventh
day. The numerology that is found in The Old Man and the Sea is a profound work of Christian symbolism , especially the number three. In the three weeks during which the old man and the boy “...caught big ones every day“ (Hemingway 10), Hemingway is referencing to the three years of Christ´s ministry, in which he was with his disciples and taught them how to become fishers of men, a role of Santiago. Santiago´s strength is seen when he fights against the fish. Santiago states he will stay with the marlin forever on three occasions. Santiago claims he will continue the battle with the sharks when he says: „I´ll fight them until I die“ (p. 102). His intention to persist is very similar to Jesus intention when he decides to stay on the cross till the end. “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him” (The Holy Bible, Mark 15:25) Therefore, Hemingway constructs The Old Man and the Sea in a way that exemplifies the Christian symbolism, through Santiago as Christ figure and through Biblical numerical references. Santiago, the main character, represents Jesus, this is seen through references to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Santiago´s wounded hands and his climbing up the road with the mast on his shoulder remind the reader of Jesus’s experience on the cross. In addition, the usage of numbers in the novel is an brilliant example of the Christian symbolism.The Old Man and The Sea has largely Christian symbolism and is considered one of the more religious works written by Ernest Hemingway.
This may be true in all cases, but it is clearly predominant in Ernest Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. It is evident that Hemingway modeled the main character, Santiago after his own person, and that the desires, the mentality, and the lifestyle of the old man are identical to Hemingway's.
In The Old Man and the Sea Earnest Hemingway uses allusion in his novella about an old fisherman and his battle with a huge marlin. The old man, Santiago, had gone 84 days without catching a fish. Manolin, who was an older boy that loved him and Santiago had taught him how to fish. He wanted to help Santiago and go fishing with him but his parents would not let him because Santiago had so much bad luck also known as “salao, which is the worst form of unlucky.” (page 1) One day the old man went fishing and he went very far out from the shore. Then he was on a 3 day journey with a marlin he had hooked, but was not able to reel it in because the fish was so great. For 3 days the fish pulled Santiago in his small skiff further and further away from his home in Havana, Cuba. When the fish had finally died Santiago had an even tougher time just trying to get the fish back home to sell it because he was very poor and in need of money. In the novella the numbers 40 and 3 appear numerous times as
Hemingway lived an interesting life, which allowed him to take past life experiences and tell them through novels. He does this exclusively through subtle symbolism in works like The Old Man and the Sea. As with all his other works, Hemingway incorporates a past experience into The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway does this in the largest scene in the book by using birds, the sharks Santiago fights off, the marlin itself, and the other fish in the sea as symbols. In the book, Hemingway uses the birds to represent his friends and mentors, the sharks being the critics of his book, the marlin being The Old Man and the Sea, and the other fish representing Hemingway's other works. Hemingway uses symbolism when he writes, “‘You are killing me, fish,’ the old man thought. ‘But you have a right to. Never have I seen a greater, or more beautiful, or a calmer or more noble thing than you, brother. Come on and kill me. I do not care who kills wh...
In the literary fiction book The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago is very alike to the marlin. They are both strong, determined, and great fighters. Even though they share these similarities, they are different, as they have different motivations to win the battle they are fighting.
Santiago can be compared to a Christ figure on the basis of his relationships with other characters in the novel. People look up to Santiago, as would a follower to Christ, hereby setting up a comparison between the two. (transition) Since the age of five, Manolin has aided the old man by working alongside him as an apprentice. Manolin is loyal to Santiago and looks up to him as if Santiago was his real father. According to Delbert Wylder, "Santiago has, in a sense been the boy’s spiritual father" ( 219). Manolin is in awe of the old man, who the town recognizes as an honorable fisherman. The boy states, "There are many good fishermen and some great ones. But there is only you." Like Santiago, Christ was also a spiritual father to his town; the town of Bethlehem. He performed miracles to heal the sick, and fed thousands of starving people. As Jim Auer says, "This demonstrates Santiago’s relation to Christ. They are both extremely unique, and were father figures in their communities" (15). ?The people of Bethlehem looked up to Christ as a father figure, and they had love and admiration towards him.? Likewise, "The love of Manolin for Santiago is that of a discipline for a master in the arts of fishing, it is also the love of a son for an adopted father" (Wagner-Martin 307). Through Manolin’s caring of the old man, he shows his love for Santiago. Even though Santiago is not Manolin’s biological father, he cares for him as though he was. "The old man was asleep in the chair and the sun was down. The boy took the old army blanket off the bed and spread it over the back of the chair and over the old man’s shoulders… and when he woke up he fed him supper" (...
The Old Man and the Sea is novella written by Ernest Hemingway in 1952. It tells the epic journey and struggles of the old fisherman, Santiago, and his younger fishing partner, Manolin. The story goes into detail the day to day life struggles that a fisherman off the coast of Africa endures. The majority of the story focuses on one particular trip out sea. In life, one will go through a number of stages in life. Infancy, Youth , Adulthood, and Old Age are all key stages. As one grows, they mature through these various stages. When one reaches old age, there is often a lot of doubt surrounding their lives. Serenity, and independence are often the two most questioned. These are some questions that Santiago has to ask himself as well.
William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, has been regarded as a masterpiece in the world of literature. This adventurous tale mixed with its frightening experiences arouses a sense of uncanny and even supernatural evil. But why is this? What impacting literary device does Golding use to bring out the terror of human darkness in his novel? Digging through the novel, it is a fact that William Golding uses symbolism to allude to religious archetypes that can be found in the Bible. This is exactly the function of the allegories used in this novel; it enriches the text depending on the different circumstances depicted in the novel. These allusions truly expand the readers view upon the situation in which the stranded boys are in. This respected
master at his art and he keeps practicing it in order to better himself. The
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
Reading through the novel The Old Man and the Sea one, as a reader, can perceive several themes in the book. Hemingway suggests certain subjects for discussion which built up the whole plot, therefore giving us options to choose the one we believe is the main one. In the past weeks we have been discussing, in a debate, which is that main theme. My group’s theme was “Man Defeated” and although it is hard to affirm that this theme was the prevailing one of the book, we firmly defend it. Various arguments were established. Some argued that the novel’s theme was Santiago’s struggle, the friendship with the fish and other characters; Santiago’s perseverance and that he really ended up as a triumphant man. But to argue that those were also the main themes of the book is also a difficult thing to do. Even though Santiago fought and kept on with his struggle to catch the fish, he was defeated because he lost it at the end.
The characters in The Old Man and the Sea are in actuality, major figures in the New Testament. Santiago is an old man, yet he had young eyes. No matter how defeated he was, he would never show it and he would look on the brighter side of things. In my mind, these traits make Santiago a god-like figure. Manolin, which translates into Messiah, is Jesus (Stoltzfus qtd in CLC 13:280). Santiago is the "father" who teaches his symbolic son and disciple, Manolin. After catching the largest marlin, Manolin will leave his parents in order to follow the teachings of Santiago, his master, just as Jesus did (Stoltzfus qtd in CLC 13:280). Pedrico is actually Saint Peter, Jesus' closest apostle and a great fisherman (Wilson 50). Peter helped Jesus fish for souls as Pedrico helped Manolin fish for food. Santiago gives Pedrico the head of the mutilated marlin which symbolizes Saint Peter as head of the Christian church and the first Pope (Stoltzfus CLC 280).
The relationship between the old man and the boy is introduced early in the story. They are unlikely companions; one is old and the other young, yet they share an insuperable amount of respect and loyalty for each other. Santiago does not treat Manolin as a young boy but rather as an equal. Age is not a factor in their relationship. Manolin does not even act as a young boy; he is mature and sensitive to Santiago’s feelings. He even offers to go against his parent’s wishes and accompany Santiago on his fishing trips. Santiago is viewed as an outcast in his village because he has not caught any fish for more than eighty-four days and is therefore “unlucky”. Nonetheless Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him he wants to help his friend.
The Old Man and the Sea focuses its plot mainly on Santiago’s struggle against the marlin. Existentialism makes its appearance when Santiago chooses to pursue the marlin, stay with it the entire way, and fight tooth and nail at the end. “My choice was to go there to find him beyond all people,” is how Santiago explains his actions to challenge the fish (Hemingway 50). He mentions how he was born to be a fisherman, and by chasing the marlin, he will give his life the meaning for existence. Santiago also insists on staying with the fish until one of them is dead, which exemplifies his will to fulfill his goals in life. He endures obstacles such as nausea, cramps, and sleep deprivation because he does not want to give up and surrender his fate. When it comes down to the final struggle, Santiago pits all of the pain, strength, and pride he has left against the fish in order to bring it down. Despair begins to creep in when Santiago finds it hard to pull in the marlin, but he overcomes it with every ounce of will he has. He knows that it is up to him to create this important moment in his li...
The great stories behind The Old Man and the Sea are what make it so wonderful. Because of this novels success released in 1952, it helped Hemingway ring in the Nobel Prize for 1954 for Hemingway (Hurse). He had a way of writing a good hearted, high spirited hero, who seemed in many ways to be at one with nature and himself. It is believed that Hemingway conjured up the character Santiago from a 92 year old man who crossed to Florida with other Cuban refugees (Baker 910). This makes sense considering Santiago is the main character, who is of old age. His characters although having many great qualities, still had struggles. Santiago is the man of hour, when speaking of The Old Man and the Sea. H...
In the opening of the novel, the entire town has turned against Santiago, because he is ”salao,” truly unlucky, Manolin still cares and believes in Santiago. Since he is the on;y boy who refers to the old man by name. This suggests that the by knows him in a way that few do. Manolin is an apprentice fisherman in a fishing