Symbolism in The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

1003 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Major themes of the old man and the sea

The premise of the story is simple yet captivating, as anybody who has ever gone fishing knows, for there is a strange allure in capturing and besting creatures as wondrous and intimidating as those who reside in the mysterious depths of the ocean. It is a work so masterful and timeless that it won the Pulitzer Prize and helped its author win the Nobel Prize, “The Old Man and The Sea” did not reach such lofty heights by mere luck. In creating the epic struggle between a monstrous Marlin and an old Cuban fisherman, Ernest Hemingway crafted an intricate web replete with symbols and allusions to Cuban culture, a country that served as his home for some time and the place where the novel was written. In order to properly understand and appreciate the depth of this tale, one must comprehend these most prominent of symbols and how they relate to the culture of the characters in the story: Baseball and Joe DiMaggio, the lions, the skiff’s mast, the marlin, and the sharks.
One of the most obvious and recurring symbols in “The Old Man and The Sea” is baseball and Joe DiMaggio. Baseball, much like being a fisherman, is an occupation that requires tremendous amounts of skill, patience, and luck. Throughout the novel, Santiago, the old Cuban fisherman, thinks about baseball and about the New York Yankees, often specifically about the great player DiMaggio. He often wonders about the scores of the baseball games and compares his struggle to the pain DiMaggio experiences from the bone spur in his heel. DiMaggio, in this way, represents a multitude of things. He is a symbol for the struggle between nature and man and of the pain that Santiago endures while battling the marlin. He also represents the skill that the old man has acquired through m...

... middle of paper ...

...Sea” Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952. Pp.1-127
Wagner, Erica. "Baseball in Cuba." The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol.18 Issue 1. 5 Mar. 2004. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
Major League Baseball (MLB). “2014 Opening Day rosters feature 224 Players Born Outside the U.S.” MLB Press Release, 1 Apr. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014
US Department of State (USDOS). "International Religious Freedom Report 2009." Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, And Labor. USDOS, 26 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .

Burhans, Clinton. "The Old Man and the Sea: Hemingway's Tragic Vision of Man." Jstor. Duke University Press, 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .

Show More
Related

  • Casey at the Bat in depth

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    America, and the world love sport; there are hundreds of types, but the one thing that links them all together is the emotion. For players and fans alike, the emotional involvement with the game is what draws them to it; and for Americans, there is one sport in particular that ignites their passion – baseball. Baseball has been called “America’s pastime” for a reason; the suspense, drama, and pride wrapped up in this game have captivated generations. The poem, “Casey at the Bat” effectively captures the emotion tied into the sport of baseball. “Casey at the Bat” is a poem about the last inning of a Mudville baseball game. The team is down two points, and the first two of their batters had already been sent back to the dugout. However, luck seemed to be on their side, the next two batters reached base, and the best hitter on the team was up to bat; Casey. The confident-cocky Casey let the first two balls go by; both were strikes. Then the last pitch came, the crowed held their breath as Casey took a swing; and to quote the poem, “but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.” There are two distinct psychological personalities present in this poem; these emotional beings are the audience and Casey. The actions and words of both shed light on each others personality and mental state during that final, historical inning.

    Read More

  • Latinos in Baseball

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    I chose this topic because I thought that it was important to highlight the recent successes of the Latino baseball players to show how minority groups can prosper in America. Latino atheletes have gain notoriety and riches through the sport of baseball. These are things that they couldn’t have dreamed about achieving without Major League baseball. Major League Baseball has given Latin Americans the opportunity to better their economic and social situation.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Baseball In The Dominican Republic

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most consider the sport of baseball to be America’s pastime. While many in the United States spend countless hours following or playing the sport, it is more than a diversion in the Dominican Republic; it can be the key to overcoming impoverishment. For most citizens of the island, poverty is the only known way of life. In 2015, 32.4% or 3.4 million lived at or below the national poverty line. The per capita income for the country in 2016 was $6,909.13, which is $45,285.76 less than that of the United States. In order to achieve their goal of creating a better life for themselves and their family, baseball provides Dominicans an opportunity for upward mobility. It is common for children in the Dominican Republic to grow up playing baseball, the country’s beloved sport, hoping to make their hobby a full-time job.

    Read More

  • Mrs.Mallards character (The story of an hour)

    2257 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hemingway’s narrative technique, then, is characterized by a curt style that emphasizes objectivity through highly selected details, flat and neutral diction, and simple declarative sentences capable of ironic understatements; by naturalistic presentation of actions and facts, with no attempt of any kind by the author to influence the reader; by heavy reliance on dramatic dialogue of clipped, scrappy forms for building plot and character; and by a sense of connection between some different stories so that a general understanding of all is indispensable to a better understanding of each. He thus makes the surface details suggest rather than tell everything they have to tell, hence the strength of his “iceberg.” His short stories, accordingly, deserve the reader’s second or even third reading.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Baseball In The Caribbean

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    “America’s favorite pastime” is undisputedly baseball. Ever since the start of baseball in the United States in the late 1700s, baseball has been a game enjoyed by the majority of America. Baseball has not only had a profound effect on the United States but has spread its reach into foreign lands. Perhaps the most effected by baseball’s foreign outreach is the Caribbean. The Caribbean (mainly Cuba and the Dominican Republic) have embraced baseball as a way to a better life.

    Read More

  • One Nation, Under God

    2046 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Religious Freedom.” Office of International Religious Freedom Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. State Department Documents / FIND, , 17 Aug. 2011. eLibrary. Web. 31 Aug. 2011.

    Read More

  • Racism And Sexism In Baseball: The Symbol Of Baseball

    878 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the early 20th century, baseball became the first professional sport to earn nationwide attention in America. Because it was our first national professional team sport, because of its immense popularity, and because of its reputation as being synonymous with America, baseball has been written about more than any other sport, in both fiction and non-fiction alike. As baseball grew popular so did some of the sportswriters who wrote about the game in the daily newspaper. Collectively, the sportswriters of the early 20th century launched a written history of baseball that transformed the game into a “national symbol” of American culture, a “guardian” of America’s traditional values, and as a “gateway” to an idealized past. (Skolnik 3) No American sport has a history as long—or as romanticized—as that of the game referred to as our “national pastime.”

    Read More

  • Impact of Baseball on American Culture and Society

    1610 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baseball has for a long time been a staple in the American sporting culture as baseball and America have grown up together. Exploring the different ages and stages of American society, reveals how baseball has served as both a public reflection of, and vehicle for, the evolution of American culture and society. Many American ways including our landscapes, traditional songs, and pastimes all bear the mark of a game that continues to be identified with America's morals and aspirations. In this paper I will be addressing the long residuals of baseball as it specifically relates to the emergence of the American nation and its principles of nationalism. This is a particularly important issue because baseball seems to be a perfect representative system having many comparative analogies to the larger system of development, America. Since the sport first emerged, baseball and America have shared the same values, responded to the same events, and struggled with the same social and economic issues. To learn of the ideals concerning the sport of baseball in America, is to know the heart and mind of America.

    Read More

  • Major League Baseball Business

    1553 Words  | 4 Pages

    For over a century, fans have gathered to watch their favorite baseball team compete. Each fan may have a favorite team, and in that team they may choose their favorite player(s). These players are people that fans idolize, wishing they could be them. But, has professional baseball become more than one of America’s favorite pastimes? The MLB has become a business of trading and deals.

    Read More

  • The Old Man and the Sea: The Parallel Between Santiago and Jesus Christ

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    As Samuel Shaw states, "The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway has often been characterized as a parable. A parable is a short fiction that expresses or implies a religious purpose. Jesus Christ himself usually delivered his moral preachments in form of parable, with no elaboration. In relation, Hemingway’s novel does not probe very deep into explanation into to characters, plot, or theme. Perhaps Hemingway’s book bears closest resemblance to a biblical parable. Hemingway extends his habitual economy of diction into an economy of structure and treatment. Santiago’s physical appearance is sketched rather than painted; the other characters are merely outlined."

    Read More

  • Baseball is the National Pastime

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    This game of a stick and ball has captivated the United States during good and bad times. In either time most of us today can remember stories of players from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. These are legendary figures in the sport of baseball that have are celebrated as hero’s and in scandal, i...

    Read More

  • Ernest Hemingway and the Art of Stoicism

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moderation is fully evident in Hemingway’s characters. Santiago, the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea, firmly balances two contrasting qualities - his humility and pride. Santiago reveals his humble nature when Manolin asserts that he is the best fisherman to which Santiago replies “No. I know others better.” (The Old Man and the Sea 23). Meanwhile Santiago’s attempt to capture the fish and prove that he is a capable man despite his old age signifies that he retains a certain level of pride for his masculinity. Humility is the antithesis of pride, yet, the old man has the ability to retain both through moderation. Emotions are not the only characteristics to be moderated; actions as well as speech must be balanced. In “Indian Camp”, the father explains a mature topic –the act of givin...

    Read More

  • Santiago Vs Dimaggio Essay

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    No two people are exactly alike, but they can be similar in many ways. Not only can they share the same features and characteristics, but they can also harness the same qualities and values. People who are kind, brave, noble, and honest often think alike, just as the evil and hateful. Kindred spirits can also be prevalent in those who have never met before and never will. Even without the other person being present, the question, “what would he/she do,” always comes into play when faced with a difficult situation. This question is crucial to Santiago, an old fisherman battling a marlin in the middle of the sea. Thinking of his legendary baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio, gives the man faith that he can conquer his strife. In Ernest Hemingway’s, “The Old Man and the Sea,” Santiago compares himself to DiMaggio by discussing their similar backgrounds, reflecting on DiMaggio’s physical struggle, and resolving to reign victorious.

    Read More

  • The Old Man And The Sea and Moby Dick

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Biblical Influence and Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many times, stories by Ernest Hemingway have much religious influence and symbolism.  In The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, numerous occurrences in the life of Santiago the fisherman are similar to the incidents recorded in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  The names of the characters translated from Spanish to English are just one of those many similarities.

    Read More

More about Symbolism in The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Open Document