Symbolism for The Old Man and the Sea

The Old Man and the Sea is absolutely jam packed with symbolism comparing Santiago to Christ. I personally think that the overall battle with the Marlin could symbolize the crucifixion of Jesus. All of the peices are there, the betrayal of his hand takes the place of Judas' betrayal of Jesus. The fishing line cutting up Santiago's face and back could symbolize the throny crown as well as the whippings that Jesus was subjected to. The ending when Santiago carries his sail onto shore symbolizes Jesus carrying the cross to his deathplace. Finally, when Santiago falls asleep at the end, this symbolizes Jesus being put in the tomb.

I think that the sharks could have represented the sin of mankind. By feasting on the Marlin, they caused all of Santiago's hardwork and pain go to waste. This is the same concept, Jesus sacrificed himself to save all mankind, yet our sin still feasts like the sharks do. I also think that Manolin represents the twelve disciples of Jesus. Manolin is Santiago's follower as well as his student. Manolin never loses faith in Santiago, even though he had not caught any fish in many months.

Santiago sybolized Christ in other ways too. When Santiago first saw the Marlin with his own eyes, one of his first thoughts was the amount of people that a fish that size could feed. His selfless thoughts signify a greater being inside of him because a normal man would be tempted by the amounts of money that he could reel in. Passion is another good trait that represents both Santiago and Jesus. Fishing was not just a job for Santiago, it was a lifestyle. He poured his heart and soul into his fishing just like Jesus poured his heart and soul into preaching. Santiago's superior traits and skills were much like those of Christ, making Hammingway's book a great source of symbolism.