Symbolism In The Old Man And The Sea

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Stories by Ernest Hemingway often have religious influence and symbolism. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, by Ernest Hemingway, there are a number of occurrences in the life of Santiago the fisherman that are similar to the incidents recorded in the life of Jesus. One of the many similarities between the two stories is how Santiago the main character in “The Old Man and the Sea” acts as a father who teaches his symbolic son discipline and many other life lessons. Although Jesus being Gods son was not a symbolic person, he is are lord and savior. Santiago is constantly tested through out the entirety of the story with struggles like trying to eat, finding off sharks away from his prize marlin, and having the will power to continue when every once
Who set out to sea for eighty four consecutive days and has returned empty handed. On the eighty fifth day he sets out further than he usually does belong the shallow coastal waters around the island and into the gulf stream. Once there he drops his line about one hundred fathoms down where the old man hooks the monster fish at noon, being the seasoned fisherman he is he knew that it was a marlin. Afraid to tie the line to the boat because he didn 't want it to break he beard the pain of the line with is back, shoulders, and hands. The fish pulled the boat for two days and two nights; the entire time Santiago is enduring the pain of the fishing line. On the third day the marlin tires and finally gives Santiago a shot with the harpoon and he gets it! Santiago was ecstatic that he got the fish in and couldn 't wait for the money he would make for the fish, but he was worried that the people who eat it will not be appreciative of the beauty, power and magnificence of the fish. As he sails towards home the dead marlin, he has worked so hard to catch, leaves a blood trail so distinct and thick that it attracts many sharks. The first shark that attacked the fish was a huge mako shark. Santiago managed to kill it with a harpoon but lost a needed amount of rope and a harpoon. Now he has very little way to defend the marlin from other sharks.
Believe it or not there is a story in the bible that differs from “The Old Man and the Sea.” Im not going to go into depth of the story in the bible that differs from the old mans story but basically Abraham lost faith in God because God told him his wife and he would have a son but his wife and he got old and he lost trust and gave up and had a kid with one of his servants(Book of Genesis). This story is different from that of the old mans because the old man never gives up and always has faith in God. An example in the story where Santiago does not give up is “he took all his pain and what was left of his strength and his long gone pride and he putt against the fish’s agony and the fish came over onto its side…”(pag.

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