Old Man and the Sea: Symbolism

There were many symbols in this novel.  Symbols are important to find in a novel to understand the authors reason for writing it.  Some symbols are hidden more than others, but the reader can see many when re-reading the novel.  A symbol that stood out to me was the ocean.  Many readers may not notice, but I think that the ocean represents the old man's life.  The powerful and uncooperative sea does not always cooperate with the old man, as does life.  Life does not always go your way, but you keep "sailing" anyway.  The sea makes things hard for the old man with all the obstacles he had to overcome.  The main hint at this symbol is Santiago's constant think of fighting until death shows that the ocean is like life.  I think that the ocean represents life and its many hardships.

Another nice symbol that cannot be ignored is the marlin.  The marlin represents the mystery in life.  Santiago hooks it and does not know what it is until it jumps.  He knows that it is mysterious and strong, but for quite a while he does not know what is on the end of the line.  When the marlin jumps, the symbol changes to Santiago's equal.  The fish is never ever looked down upon in any way by the old man.  The symbolism of the fish is one of the strongest.

One last symbol is the symbol of the lions.  Santiago often thinks of these lions who remind him of the boy.  He dreams about the lions very much as well.  These lions represent the youth and innocence in life.  They also represent Santiago's enormous respect and love for the boy.  The way the boy is related to one of the old man's best memories is thought of as an honor to the boy.  This symbol is largely important in the novel even though it is not though of very often when reading the book.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.