The Symbolism of Events in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” as a Mockery or Christian Allegory
Many who have read Ernest Hemingway‘s The Old Man and the Sea consider it a Christian allegory, Christian symbolism indeed appears fruitfully throughout the story, For example, the characters’ names translate into Biblical names, such as “Santiago,” meaning “Saint James“ Furthermore, many similar comparisons of the end of Jesus‘ life and Santiago's trip appear everywhere in the story. But based on the ending, this novella, when closely analyzed, possibly translates into a mockery of Christianity, Symbolism of events that occurred during the time of Jesus’ death takes place throughout the story. For example, Santiago is a Christ-like figure, shovel-headed sharks play the part of the devil, and the marlin makes a worthy opponent.
Although the crucifixion of Christ doesn’t explicitly reveal an opponent, Santiago battles the marlin for three days just as Christ battled death for three days; death thus suggests itself to be Christ’s worthy opponent. In addition, at the beginning of the story, Santiago and Manolin go without fish for forty days, just as Christ went without food for forty days. Furthermore, after a time when Santiago and Manolin hadn't caught any fish for eighty-six days, they caught much fish for three weeks. The same occurrence takes place in the New Testament when the sons of Zebedee do not catch any fish for a whole night, then catch loads of fish when Jesus tells them to throw their nets on the other side of their boat.
Finally, Santiago carries his skiff‘s mast over his shoulder and up a hill to his shack, where he sleeps in his bed in the same position as a crucifixion. In conclusion, the novella does seem like a Christian allegory, but many readers overlook one key observation. Purple, in Jesus’ lifetime, represented royalty when people wore it. Furthermore, in present times, Christians associate purple with Jesus, In The Old Man and the Sea, the marlin is purple. When Santiago kills the marlin and it gracefully accepts defeat, that defeat represents Christ‘s death. But as Santiago permanently defeated the marlin in the story, along with the sharks adding to its defeat, Hemingway quite possibly created a mockery of Christianity. In addition to that example of the marlin's defeat, Santiago also faces a bitter defeat.
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Santiago may have caught the marlin, but the sharks, representing the devil, tear away the meat from the marlin. As a result, Santiago arrives home with only a skeleton to show for his catch. Furthermore, a couple of tourists think the skeleton on the beach is the remains of a shark instead of a marlin. Even though Santiago reaches home alive to the joy of Manolin, the sharks seemed to have the advantage and defeated him in his goal to catch, kill, and bring home the marlin. As a result of the analysis of the marlin, The Old Man and the Sea appears as a mockery. On the other hand, the Christian symbolism does almost make the story a Christian allegory. However, Hemingway used the method of the iceberg principle, forming a deeper meaning to words without revealing it, to cover the mockery of Jesus‘ death.
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The Symbolism of Events in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” as a Mockery or Christian Allegory. (2023, Apr 24). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/the-symbolism-of-events-in-ernest-hemingways-the-old-man-and-the-sea-as-a-mockery-or-christian-allegory/
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