Symbolism in Earnest Hemmingways The Old Man and the Sea Free Essay Example, 3750 words

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. "Keep my head clear, " he says to himself, as he's struggling to concentrate (Hemingway 95). The digestion of the dolphin does not aid his already poor condition. Santiago points out to himself that a dolphin is "a miserable fish [when] raw" (Hemingway 80). Upon his digesting of the dolphin, he "felt faint and sick and could not see well" (Hemingway 94). When combining th e factors of weakness, tiredness, and injury, Santiago suffers from an intense amount of pain while battling the marlin. We will write a custom essay sample on Symbolism in Earnest Hemmingway's The Old Man and the Sea or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page