THe Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway uses religious symbolism throughout the novella, The Old Man and the Sea to depict the life of Jesus. The use of Hemingway's symbolism is very obvious in the certain periods of time chosen, as well as through Santiago, and the marlin. The reader gets to go for a ride on a self-defining journey as he or she reads about Santiago's defeat and his undying pride. The symbolism Hemingway uses in the days and numbers of the book are very important. Hemingway did not pick certain numbers because they sound good. He chose them because they are symbolic to the Christian religion. In the beginning of the story, Santiago had been with Manolin, his young follower, on a boat for forty days. This is symbolically religious because Jesus was banished to the wilderness for forty days (http://www.thespark). Manolin's parents would not let him fish with Santiago anymore because of Santiago's bad luck. In this sense, Santiago could be seen as an outcast, just as Jesus was. Santiago had gone eighty-seven days without catching a fish prior to his eighty-four unlucky days. Eighty-seven could be symbolic to the "sum of Jesus' forty days in the desert, the forty days of Lent, and the seven days of Ho
The marlin, as well as other creatures, are considered to be "brothers" to Santiago (Scafella 199). The symbolism of these three days could be the time it took between the death and resurrection of Jesus (Williams 183). There is no translation for this word and 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 goes through a trial of horrible suffering to gain achievement. Santiago goes through much pain and defeat to achieve a victory of self gain and a new purity. I believe he finds a sense of self and the Christ like identity that he saw in the marlin. This is symbolic of Jesus getting his hands nailed to the cross. Santiago also battled with the large fish for three days, which is very significant. Santiago's trial with the fish begins in "simple physical pain. Santiago's attitude reflects the attitude of Jesus. Poor Santiago wears a "crown of thorns" when his straw hat makes his forehead raw under the scorching sun (Williams 177). "The image of Santiago struggling up the hill with his mast across his shoulders recalls Christ's march toward Calvary" (http://www. This action makes it seem as though Santiago is consuming the body of Christ (Jobes 62). This is a reminder of how Christ suffered on the cross (Williams 186).
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Acceptance Essays
