Symbolism and Imagery in Earnest Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages Nearing the end of their struggle, Santiago holds a great respect for the fish and even seems to believe that the fish feels the same way towards him. Sea is also a recurrent symbol that represents human life and its problems with their gigantic magnitude.
Although Santiago put up a valiant effort at sea, nature ends up defeating him. The marlin gives him the toughest fight, as well as the most problems. Santiago fights for three days and nights against the marlin attempting to pull it in. During this battle, nature defeats Santiago through bodily afflictions. During his three day struggle with his future prize, Santiago goes from strong to weak considerably quick. In his first hours of fighting with the marlin, Santiago says to himself "I have no cramps and I feel strong" (Hemingway 46). Within the next twelve hours, Santiago becomes angry because his left hand has become cramped and will not open. He goes on to talk with himself about the occurrence, stating "What kind of a hand is that" (Hemingway 58). Obviously, the failure of his hand to operate correctly disgusts him. Later in the novel, Santiago reminisces about the problems his left hand has always given him and goes on to call it a traitor due to its lack of strength (Hemingway 71).
Not only does his hand cramp, but he also begins to feel tired and weak from age, poor sleeping habits, and the digestion of the dolphin's nauseating meat. Frequently throughout the novel, Santiago is either referred to as or calls himself "tired" and "old." One such example of this is on page ninety-five of The Old Man and the Sea, where Santiago directly states "I am a tired old man" (Hemingway). Age, as many knows, is a product of nature, and something that man cannot control.
Therefore nature has indirectly caused Santiago's lack of energy through his old age. Another reason for his tiredness is the little amounts of sleep he is getting. While fighting the marlin, Santiago sleeps a few hours, if any, which can cause other problems such as cramps and dizzy spells. ...Download file to see next pagesRead more