ANALYSING THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

INTRODUCTION

According to Edward Quinn, ‘symbol’ is “A widely used term in many disciplines, referring to the process by which a person, place, object, or event comes to stand for some abstract idea or condition.
As normally used in literary study, symbol suggests a connection between the ordinary sense of reality and a moral or spiritual order… The practice of employing symbols is called symbolism.” (Quinn 408) The American short story writer and novelist Ernest Hemingway is known for using symbolism in most of his works. However, his use of symbolism comes to a climax in his work The Old Man and the Sea. The rich symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea not only helps enhance the plot and themes, but give the readers an insight into the mind of the author and his characters in very subtle way. There are different layers of symbols used in the novel.

THE CLASSICAL SYMBOLS

The Old Man and the Sea has several classical symbols rooted in the Greek mythology. Much of Greek mythology is connected to the elements of nature and the novel The Old Man and the Sea takes the readers back to the lap of mother nature.

Poseidon

Santiago, the protagonist of the novel is ‘the old man’. In Greek mythology, the God of Sea is Poseidon who is pictured as a strong old bearded man holding a trident.

The image of Santiago with his harpoon in chase of the Marlin is similar to that of Poseidon. Thus, depicting that like Poseidon, the sea is Santiago’s territory, he is its rulers, no one can defeat him there. Hemingway describes Santiago saying, “Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.” (Hemingway 4) This makes Santiago one with the sea.

Odysseus

Our protagonist in The Old Man and the Sea can also be compared to Homer’s Odyssey’s protagonist, Odysseus who known for his wisdom and the adventures he took. Like Odysseus, Santiago is not only wise and experienced, but he also feels like he is born to take up the adventures the sea has to offer him. Santiago through his actions in the novel proves himself to be a true Homeric hero who is not unreflective in their heroism and think before they take a step.

Respect for opponent

The battle of will and power between the marlin and Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea is a battle of equals. Santiago sees himself in his opponent and respects him. Also, their hand-to-hand combat reminds us of the athletic contests in the classical epics where the opponent is always respected.

Hercules and the Nemean lion

In this context, Santiago’s dream about the lions on the beach Africa is also significant. On one hand, since lions are strong, proud animals, the author uses them to symbolize Santiago's childhood and his strength and pride when he was younger. On the other hand, they are a mythological allusion to the Nemean lion that was defeated by Hercules. It foreshadows the battle between Santiago and the marlin.

Tragic Hero

Santiago’s story of conquering the marlin and then loosing that trophy that would have been the achievement of his lifetime makes him a classical tragic hero. Aristotle in his Poetics said that a tragic hero “is the sort of man who is not conspicuous for virtue and justice, and whose fall into misery is not due to vice and depravity, but… whom it has befallen to suffer or inflict terrible experiences.” (Murray 73) This description fits Santiago’s fate in The Old Man and the Sea.

THE BIBLICAL SYMBOLS AND ALLUSIONS

Ordinarily, stories written by Ernest Hemingway have much religious impact and symbolism. However, religious symbolism, particularly Christian symbols are especially prominent in the novel The Old Man and the Sea.

Santiago

The name ‘Santiago’ is probably derived from San Diego or St. James, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Santiago’s love and respect for all species is the fraternal ethics that the Bible preaches – all creatures are the children of God.

Several comparisons can also be drawn between Santiago and Jesus Christ. Santiago’s fight in the novel can be compared with the struggle of Christ faced in his life. Just like Christ, he was loaded with goodness, persistence, and humility. The mast Santiago carries is an undeniable reference to the cross of Jesus which he too had to carry on his shoulders. The wounds on Santiago’s palms are an allusion to the stigmata on Christ’s palms, both are the symbols of suffering. However, like Christ, Santiago is a determined man, he says, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” (Hemingway 80) This is another allusion to the fact that even though the Romans crucified Jesus, they could not erase his legacy and his teaching that spread all over the world.

Manolin and Pedrico

Santiago’s young apprentice, Manolin can also be a symbol of Christ. The term ‘Manolin’ came from ‘Messiah’ meaning Jesus. Manolin leaves his parents to follow the teachings of Santiago, his master, just as Jesus followed the path of God. Another character from the novel “Pedrico is actually Saint Peter, Jesus' closest apostle and a great fisherman. Peter helps Jesus fish for souls as Pedrico helped Manolin and Santiago by giving fish for food. Santiago gives Pedrico the head of the mutilated marlin which symbolizes Saint Peter as head of the Christian church and the first Pope.” (Sandamali 128)

Numeric symbols

Numbers come up as important biblical symbols in The Old Man and the Sea. According to Joseph Waldmeir, “The Old Man, as the story opens, has fished alone for forty-four famine days and with the boy for forty more. The Old Man’s trial with the great fish lasts exactly three days; the fish is landed on the seventh attempt; seven sharks are killed; and, although Christ fell only three times under the Cross, whereas the Old Man has to rest from the weight of the mast seven times, there is a consistency in the equal importance of the numbers themselves…” (Weeks 163)

Among all this strong biblical symbolism is also hidden some personal symbolism that tell the readers more about Ernest Hemingway.

PERSONAL SYMBOLISM

Ernest Hemingway said about his novel The Old Man and the Sea that it was the prose that he had been working all his life to achieve. It is simple and short, yet it has all the dimensions of the visible world and the world of a man’s spirit. His inner satisfaction in writing the novel is evident in the presence of the personal symbolism.

According to Phillip Young, “This is the first time, in all of Hemingway’s work, that the code hero and the Hemingway hero have not been wholly distinct… Hemingway was narrowing the gap that had always existed between him and his code heroes. Actually he narrowed it to the point where it is possible to show that on one level The Old Man and the Sea was wholly personal… The Old Man and the Sea is, from one angle, an account of Hemingway’s personal struggle, grim, resolute and eternal, to write his best.” (Young 126) 

The protagonist or the hero of The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is based on someone Hemingway personally knew. The character of Santiago is based on the Cuban fisherman, Carlos Guiterrez with whom Hemingway went on fishing adventures. Guiterrez taught him everything about catching a marlin. Hemingway admired the seriousness, precision and perfectionism that the profession of fishing carried because of his friend. He equated his art to fishing and works to achieve that perfection in the novel.

CONCLUSION

The Old Man and the Sea is filled with symbols on different levels. “So as the readers of the novel, it is difficult to get the thoughts that lay behind the words, in light of the fact that the content is loaded with symbols to convey various messages.” (Rajdaa 40) But the novel definitely leaves as mythical and biblical feeling at the end, at the same time one can feel a deep connection established with the author. In conclusion, it can definitely be said that The Old Man and the Sea has one of the strongest use of symbols in the history of American literature.

REFERENCES

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. Arrow Books, 2004.

Murray, Penelope and T. S. Dorsch, editors. Classical Literary Criticism. Penguin Books Ltd., 2000.

Quninn, Edward. A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms. Infobase Publishing, 2006.

Rajdaa, Belarbi. “SYMBOLISM IN ERNEST HEMINGWAYAS THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.” Dspace. http://dspace.univtlemcen.dz/bitstream/112/8934/1/belarbi-radjaa. Accessed 21 February 2021.

Sandamali, K. P. S. "Symbolism In Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea." International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, vol. 4, no.12, 2015, pp. 125-129.

Weeks, Robert P. Hemingway: A Collection of Critical Essays. Prentice-Hall Twentieth Century Views, 1962.

Young, Philip. Ernest Hemingway: A Reconsideration. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1952.