” And the old man’s struggle up the hill to his village with his mast across his shoulders is evocative of Christ’s march toward Calvary. As soon as the sharks arrive, Santiago makes a noise one would make “feeling the nail go through his hands and into the wood. This image of his bleeding hand, in conjunction with his suffering at sea, recalls the image of the hand of Jesus Christ bloodied by the nails used to crucify him. Given Santiago’s suffering and willingness to sacrifice his life, the wounds are suggestive of Christ’s stigmata, and Hemingway goes on to portray the old man as a Christ-like martyr. ” When his hand cramps, he starts to worry about the possibility of sharks and his suffering is evident. During the old man’s battle with the marlin, his palms are cut by his fishing cable. The pictures were the relics of the late wife of Santiago. Pictures of both the Virgin De Cobre and the Scared Heart of Jesus are the only adornments in Santiago’s shack. He also promises to make a pilgrimage to the Virgin De Cobre if he catches the fish. Hemingway says that Santiago is not a religious man, but he seems to have some faith as shown by his offers to say his "Hail Marys" and praises if he catches the marlin. He is a fisherman, similar to Christ's disciples. All throughout the book the old man wishes for salt, a staple seasoning in the human diet.
Old man trial#
“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”. Other numbers that Hemingway uses that are significant in the New and Old Testament are three and seven. Order custom essay Christian Symbolism in the Old Man and the Sea Christians fast just as Jesus did for forty days which is meant to represent the forty days Santiago has gone without catching a fish since the boy left him. Santiago remains in the sea for forty days once with the boy and again without him, just as Noah did. One can easily relate these examples to what occurs in the story. Such examples of the number forty in reference to religion includes, the Great Flood of the Old Testament which lasted forty days, forty days is also “the length of time it took Christ to subdue Satan in the desert”, “fasting and repentance in preparation for Easter” lasts forty days for Christians (“Lent”). Along with the reference of a fish, which the novel is largely centered on, as an ancient Christian symbol, the number forty holds special meaning in holy writings. To the religious layman, the latter may represent nothing special however, for those looking for representations of the Bible, this is viewed as the first example in The Old Man and the Sea. “In the first forty days a boy had been with him.īut after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky” (Hemingway 5). Hemingway seems to include small, yet noticeable details that allow the reader to relate the novel with the Gospel’s. Santiago's story mirrors Christ's insofar as both men suffer greatly and it is, primarily, through the use of crucifixion imagery that Hemingway creates a symbolic parallel between Santiago and Christ, an analogy that elevates Santiago's trials. A man can be destroyed but not defeated', Hemingway maintained. Told simply and sparely, the contest between the old Cuban fisherman Santiago and a giant marlin is often seen as emblematic of human endurance and bravery against nearly overwhelming odds. Hemingway’s novel can be construed as an allusion to the Bible and the struggles of Jesus. Christian Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea Christian symbolism, especially images that refer to the crucifixion of Christ, is present throughout The Old Man and the Sea.