What does the shark symbolize in the Old Man and the Sea
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Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea: Symbolism is widely used by modern authors like Ernest Hemingway. Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea is rich and in good quantities e.g. sea, the fish, sharks, the old man, the boy, the fishermen etc. Show
Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea – Sea as a SymbolSea has a strong symbolic significance in this novel. It is as old as the history of man. It is a symbol of knowledge immeasurable. Every sea wave represents passage of time. Man is yet to discover this knowledge with each new voyage. Sea, like nature, is loving and kind. But it is wild and dangerous too. It provides man with opportunities to earn his livelihood on his waters. It is generally calm and peaceful. Santiago and all other fishermen catch fish on its waters. The might of sea represents the powerful nature which is bent on destroying whatever man strives to build on. When it is angry, it does not spare man. The sea, with all its might, shows the contrast to the insignificant man and symbolizes that man has a lot to endure in this world if he wishes to survive anymore. The sea is also a teacher as it teaches Santiago when he crosses the limit by going “far out” into the deep sea. It crushes and destroys Santiago. Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea – Old ManThe Old Man, Santiago, is the symbol of fragile man versus the might of Nature. The only difference these weak humans can make is their strong will and perseverance. What causes the old man to win against the Marlin? Obviously, his sticking to the fish. He hangs onto it for 48 hours. Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea – The MarlinMarin is both the prize as well as the test of human effort. The marlin i.e. success does not come handy. It always test and tries human beings. The fall of marlin in the hands of sharks also symbolizes that success is never permanent. Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea – The SharksThe sharks are the hostile forces of Nature always at work to thwart human success. Man is alone against a mighty Nature. But this mighty and strong Nature does have a soothing and healing affect as well. God made it so. It is both a friend as well as enemy to man. It provides nourishment in the form of fish. But it also kills in the form of sharks. Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea – The boy, ManolinThe boy is the hope of carrying the pure art of fishing. He is the continuity of the tradition of fishing like Santiago. He is unlike other fishermen that are greedy and material. They know no art. Read More to the Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea:
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By Ma In the previous articles, I provided my readers with a summary, narrative and writing style and the theme. As I have already dropped hints before, there are numerous symbols in the story. This time, I am going to explain why DiMaggio, the color of purple and the sharks are important symbols in The Old Man And The Sea. DiMaggioDiMaggio is mentioned in the beginning of the story for a few times. His personal life makes him a symbol of faith in the story. In 1934, he tore his ligaments and because of that he was almost compelled to give up his career as a professional basketball player. Fortunately, Scout Bill Essick convinced the New York Yankees that DiMaggio’s injury would be recovered and his club should give him a chance. Since Scout Bill and DiMaggio have faith in DiMaggio’s future, the latter would be able to reach a new height in his career. Such an incident is parallel to the story of the old man, and thus is related to the theme – faith and fight for glory. DiMaggio acts as a symbol of faith. PurplePurple usually represents royal, nobility, power and ambition. It is very evident that the narrator uses purple to represent nobility and ambition. Before the marlin is hooked, the old man sees the sea in purple color, which symbolizes the ambition and the old man’s desire to succeed. During the fishing process, the old man realizes that marlin has purple stripes on its sides. It represents the dream and ambition of the old man. However, after the old man has hauled and killed the marlin, the marlin ‘turns silver from his original purple and silver’. This is a good indication that the nobility and righteousness of the old man’s dream has lost. Consequently, the old man considers it as a sin. He loses his faith in his fishing dream which leads to his subsequent failure. SharksThis is a very straightforward symbol. Sharks symbolize hardship that hinders the old man from realizing his dream. They are also the old man’s catalysts for questing the faith. The story proceeds vividly and sharks are an important foreshadowing element, too. After the old man’s left hand is recovered, he says loudly, “Unless sharks come” and “If sharks come, God pity him and me”(p.68). Indeed, the sharks does not come, not until the marlin is killed and the blood attracts the first shark. The old man thus ‘foresees’ his encounter with the sharks. Soon after he kills the marlin, he regrets it and begins to respect it like his brother. He temporarily loses his faith, which also leads to imminent hardship and the failure. It will be for the readers, however, to determine whether God pities the old man or not. ——————-END OF HEMINGWAY’S THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA SERIES—————– Do you find other symbols or foreshadowing devices in The Old Man And The Sea. If you do, don’t hesitate and share your thoughts with us through the comments! Reference: Ernest Hemingway (1952). The Old Man and the Sea. Charles Scribner’s Sons. New York. [https://archive.org/details/oldmansea00hemi_1/page/n7/mode/2up] What are the symbols in The Old Man and the Sea?In the novel The Old Man and the Sea the symbols which the researcher considers as individual symbols are the old man as a symbol of someone who has optimistic life, Manolin (the boy) as a symbol of hope, Joe Di Maggio as a symbol of strong desire, harpoon as a symbol of skill, bird as a symbol of help, marlin (great ...
What is the importance of the sharks in the novel?In the novel , sharks represent the hostile forces of the nature. They attack the fish one by one first and in the packs later on. They deprive the old man of the fruit of his long efforts.
What does the boat symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?Joe has a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. The mast of Santiago's little fishing ship does more than just resemble a cross, but symbolizes the sacredness of Santiago's perseverance and struggle.
What does fishing symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?As a fisherman,the old man greatly relies on the sea for food. Fishing is his life beside giving him food, fishing also gives him some values of life. And the same with the sea creatures, man has to fight and struggle to use what universe provide. In real life only man who have strength can exist.
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