Symbolism in “The Old Man and the

Sea”

Symbolism• Definition:Something which represents something else by

analogy or association.

Lions in cultureIn numerous cultures the lion

symbolizes ferocity, great strength and royalty.

In Egypt, the Sphinx is an ancient symbol, which is the guardian of pharaoh’s temple

In medieval European kingdoms, such as the tribe of the Judah, the lion was represented as the “king of beasts” on shields and flags.

Nowadays Lions frequently appear in pop culture. They are featured in multiple blockbuster films such as “the chronicles of narnia”, “Madagascar” and of course, the Disney hit “lion King”.

As a zodiac symbol - those with the sign of Leo likely possess some lion traits such as:

- self-confidence- controlling and passionate

attitude- Independent

Lions in literature and art

Literature is replete with lions. A famous lion is the Cowardly Lion from the children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by Frank Baum.

The lion appears in the most ancient sculptures of Babylonia. Sculptured lions stand at the entrances of some modern buildings, such as the Art Institute of Chicago.

Old Man

• Old Man: wise, experienced, prudent.Santiago represents the patience, humility

and the good will of Christ.In order to prove that he’s not a weak and

useless old man, Santiago sails out to sea to catch a giant Marlin.

Young Man

• Young Man: vigorous, full of dreams, inexperienced, optimistic, enthusiastic.

Young Man

Manolin represents a disciple of Jesus. He is Santiago’s apprentice; he loves Santiago and tries helping him.

• A major symbol in the novel is the sea. It stands for all that is undiscovered in life, the metaphorical sea which man must sail on.

• The sea is always mysterious and spontaneous.

• It can be smooth and calm or it can be aggressive, stormy and destructive.

Sea symbolism

Fishing

FishSymbolic of kindness, patience, determination of Christianity.

Santiago battling the Marlin

Thank you for listening!