The Old Man and the Sea-Symbolism

When telling people that I had to read The Old Man and the Sea this summer the majority of responses were advising me to write about Jesus, Christianity, and religion. All I could think was, "It is about an old man. He is out at sea fishing. What does religion have to do with it?" Once I started reading and thinking about those ideas I came to realize that Santiago's story is very similar to the story of Jesus and the people that crucified him. I am going to put this out here now though and say that I am not a religious person so if any of what I write is not one-hundred percent correct all of the time or it is offensive in any way, I apologize now.

In this book the old man represents Jesus and his journey. Manolin, his apprentice, would be consider a follower or disciple if you will. The first real pieces of symbolism that I have put together are the injuries he receives on his hands and back. The hand injuries symbolize the nails that nailed Jesus to the cross. The old man's back injuries are referring to when Jesus had to carry his own cross to the top of a hill. Both men struggled immensely to prove their points. I believe that sharks represent all of the evil people tearing Jesus apart. The sharks play an important role by teaching the reader that no matter how difficult the situation may seem you can always come out on top.

I know that with such a large class there will be a broad variety of opinions and ideas about religion and how The Old Man and the Sea relates to the bible. So with that being said, remember to be tolerant. Everyone is unique and was raised with different values. Even if you go to the same church as someone you know your ideas are probably going to vary on many different topics. It is just a book so let's all get along!

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.