The old man and the sea” is a symbolic novel. The
novelist has used symbols deftly to illustrate his philosophy of life. So, from
symbolic point of view, the novel presents different interpretations. The
endless struggle of Santiago in catching fish and defending sharks, remembrance
of Di -Maggie, dreams about lions, boy Manolin, all these bear symbolic
meanings.
The old man is a representative of that
valiant and resilient fighter who learns a lesson well to fight to the last.
Santiago is an everyman. In old age, at the time of suffering man is supported
by dreams and memories of youth. He dreams about lions three times on different
occasions. Such dreams give him new strength and power that he gets ready to
face life full of hazards .
Manolin symbolizes his lost youth and
physical vigor. Mandolin has been with the old man since his childhood.
Santiago has taught him the art of fishing excellently. The boy is a companion
of his loneliness when he fishes alone in th deep sea. The boy remains in his
ideas and feelings.
The big marlin is a symbol of lofty
aims, aspirations and objectives of human life. The sharks symbolize the
unforeseen disasters and adverse circumstance. The description of Di-Maggie and
baseball represent the power of endurance. When he needs courage against
hazards of life, he recalls them. The ‘sea’ is the symbol of life. The depth,
the width and the length of the sea is unknown to us. Life is also in the
manner of sea. As sea is full of intricacies and mysteries, so is life. It is
full of sorrows, sufferings, ordeals and joys. No one can tell-when, where and
how a person is going to get them. In short, “the old man and the sea” is a
glowing tribute to the heroic impulse in man. The loss of marlin at the hands
of sharks keeps Santiago to a 7 greater understanding of life. The device of
symbolism has been successfully, impressively and skillfully e mployed to convey
the message.“The old man and the sea” is a symbolic novel. The novelist has used
symbols deftly to illustrate his philosophy of life. So, from symbolic point of
view, the novel presents different interpretations. The endless struggle of
Santiago in catching fish and defending
sharks, remembrance of Di -Maggie, dreams about lions, boy Manolin, all these
bear symbolic meanings.
The old man is a representative of that
valiant and resilient fighter who learns a lesson well to fight to the last.
Santiago is an everyman. In old age, at the time of suffering man is supported
by dreams and memories of youth. He dreams about lions three times on different
occasions. Such dreams give him new strength and power that he gets ready to
face life full of hazards .
Manolin symbolizes his lost youth and
physical vigor. Mandolin has been with the old man since his childhood.
Santiago has taught him the art of fishing excellently. The boy is a companion
of his loneliness when he fishes alone in the deep sea. The boy remains in his
ideas and feelings.
The big marlin is a symbol of lofty
aims, aspirations and objectives of human life. The sharks symbolize the
unforeseen disasters and adverse circumstance. The description of Di-Maggie and
baseball represent the power of endurance. When he needs courage against
hazards of life, he recalls them.
The ‘sea’ is the symbol of life. The
depth, the width and the length of the sea is unknown to us. Life is also in
the manner of sea. As sea is full of intricacies and mysteries, so is life. It
is full of sorrows, sufferings, ordeals and joys. No one can tell-when, where
and how a person is going to get them. In short, “the old man and the sea” is a
glowing tribute to the heroic impulse in man. The loss of marlin at the hands
of sharks keeps Santiago to a greater understanding of life. The device of
symbolism has been successfully, impressively and skillfully e mployed to
convey the message.
Muhammad Sohail Arif
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