What does the marlin symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?

Magnificent and glorious, the marlin symbolizes the ideal opponent. In a world in which “everything kills everything else in some way,” Santiago feels genuinely lucky to find himself matched against a creature that brings out the best in him: his strength, courage, love, and respect.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sparknotes.com


What is the marlin in The Old Man and the Sea?

The marlin is the giant, 18-foot fish that battles with Santiago in the middle of the ocean for three days and three nights. Although Santiago hooks the marlin on his first afternoon at sea, the marlin refuses to come to the surface and instead pulls Santiago farther and farther from land.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on litcharts.com


What does the Blue Marlin symbolize?

The Blue Marlin tattoo is a symbol of power, strength, and endurance. There are two ways to view the Blue Marlin, as the fisher or the fish. As the fish, you may want to celebrate your strength, endurance, and cunning.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on tattmag.com


What are the symbols used in The Old Man and the Sea?

The desire of the author to represent Santiago as Christ like figure, mast symbolizes the cross in the novel. Harpoon is the power of fishermen in the sea. Simply the loss of harpoon symbolizes the loss of power of Santiago amidst the sea and the strength.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ijstr.org


What does the bird symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?

The Bird. The bird symbolizes the loneliness that Santiago is feeling on the boat. He befriends the bird because, other than the marlin, he has no one to talk to. He accidentally scares away the bird away when he starts fighting back with the marlin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on prezi.com


BA English Novel, The Old Man



What do the lions symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?

The lions symbolize Santiago's lost youth as well as his pride (a group of lions is called a "pride"). Santiago's love for the lions, which are fierce predators, also mirrors his relationship with the marlin, whom he loves but whose death he feels is necessary to his survival.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on litcharts.com


How does Santiago feel about the marlin What does it symbolize to him?

Even though the marlin makes him suffer, Santiago considers him a worthy adversary and, in a way, feels honor to be possibly taken down by such an opponent. The fact that Santiago does not care which one of them dies reveals the deep respect he feels for the marlin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sparknotes.com


What does the skiff symbolize?

Skiff definition

Frequency: (slang) Used when referring to anyone (typically rednecks and fishermen) who has a degree of intelligence, but believes they are more than they actually are.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on yourdictionary.com


What does the fisherman symbolize?

The fisherman symbolizes man's indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on brainly.in


What is the old man a symbol of?

Symbolism in the story. ->(a) The old man- The old man symbolizes war's destructive impact on all innocent lives of people and animals who are displaced by the horrific realities of war that they do not understand.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on spsagartala.ac.in


Why did Santiago call the marlin his brother?

Santiago calls the giant marlin "brother" because he realizes that it is a kindred spirit to him, a noble animal who will fight the good fight with everything that it has. He is glad it is not a dolphin: "It is a strong full-blooded fish," he thought. "I was lucky to get him instead of dolphin.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on enotes.com


What is the relationship between Santiago and the marlin?

Santiago and the marlin had a respective relationship. Although Santiago's plan the second he hooked the marlin was to kill it and sell it, he grew to respect the marlin as a fellow man. This relationship develops as Santiago fights his worthy opponent for here days, until finally pulling it in.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on kibin.com


How does Santiago personify the marlin?

He admires the Marlin's beauty and endurance. Santiago recognizes that he possesses a will and has patience and precision in his work.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on quizlet.com


What is the fisherman and the man gathering salt symbolic of?

The fisherman and the man gathering salt are symbolic of the destruction created by humans on their mother earth. According to the poet, people of this world have been so selfish that they can go to any extent in order to have personal gains.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on brainylads.in


What do fishermen and salt gatherers symbolize?

1 Answer. The fisherman and the man gathering salt symbolise human beings busy for earning bread and butter. On one hand, we have fisherman who is killing the animals for the sake of money and on the other hand, we have man gathering salt who is hurting his hands for the sake of money.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on englishnotes.com


What does fisherman symbolism in the poem keeping quiet?

Answer. The fisherman symbolizes man's indiscriminate exploitation of nature for his vested interests.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on brainly.in


What does Santiago use the oars for?

Santiago notices that the marlin has slowed its pull on the line. He considers lashing the oars together across the stern to increase the boat's drag. He leans forward, pressing against the wood of the skiff so that it takes much of the strain of the line from his back.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cliffsnotes.com


Why Santiago took down photo of his wife from the wall?

Santiago's wife is dead, so he is lonely before he faces his external conflict. Hemingway writes: “Once there had been a tinted photograph of his wife on the wall but he had taken it down because it made him too lonely to see it…” (16).
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on racc.edu


Why does Santiago wish to take DiMaggio for fishing?

Even though Santiago feels proud of and confident in his abilities as a fisherman, his respect for DiMaggio runs so deep that he believes DiMaggio, although not a fisherman, possesses more skill than he. DiMaggio represents the ultimate hero—young, skilled, strong, and resilient.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sparknotes.com


What does the harpoon symbolize in The Old Man and the Sea?

The lost harpoon

Santiago loses the harpoon as he fends off sharks, symbolic of individuals who lose their faith as life's woes attack. Much like Santiago without a harpoon, those without faith are defenseless.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on brighthubeducation.com


Why did Santiago want the marlin to jump out of the water?

Santiago hopes that the fish will jump, because its air sacs would fill and prevent the fish from going too deep into the water, which would make it easier to pull out.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on sparknotes.com


What does the old man begin to think about regarding his killing of the marlin and shark?

The old man thinks that the fish is killing him, and admires him for it, saying, “I do not care who kills who.” Eventually, he pulls the fish onto its side by the boat and plunges his harpoon into it.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on www2.vobs.at


How long did Santiago fight the marlin?

With all his great experience and strength, he struggles with the fish for three days, admiring its strength, dignity, and faithfulness to its identity; its destiny is as true as Santiago's as a fisherman. He finally reels the marlin in and lashes it to his boat.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on britannica.com


What was the saddest thing the old man ever saw?

What was the saddest thing the old man ever saw? Once he hooked the female of a pair of marlin. The male fish stayed close to her all the time. When Santiago and Manolin brought her aboard the boat, the male fish stayed by the side of the boat.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on mutemelodist.com


Why the boy's parents refuse to let the boy fish with the old man?

Manolin's parents refuse to let the boy fish with the old man because they believe Santiago is salao.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on quizlet.com