Old Man And The Sea :: essays research papers

In life, one will go through a number of stages in life. Infancy, Youth , Adulthood, andOld Age are all find out stages. As one grows, they mature through these various stages. When onereaches old age, there is ofttimes a lot of doubt surrounding their lives. Serenity, and independenceare often the two most questioned. These are some questions that Santiago has to ask himself aswell.In the novel The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway develops the concept ofman coming to the realization that as he ages, his dependency on others will increase. The use ofmetaphor is key in showing how this is indeed true. The struggle with the Tiburon represents themental struggle that Santiago is having with himself. The Tiburon is also used as a metaphor forSantiago&8217s life. The male child in the story parallels what Santiago&8217s life once was.The struggle with the Tiburon represents the struggle that Santiago is having with himself. The constant struggle makes Santiago realize that he is n o longer as young as he thinks he is andhe must rely on the help of others. This is shown when Santiago is battling the Tiburon.&8220 &8216Bad news for you tip&8217, he said and shifted the line over the sacksthat covered his shoulders. He was comfortable, but suffering,although he did non admit to the suffering at all. &8216 I am notreligious...but I will say Ten Hail Marys that I should catch thisfish&8217... &8216Hail Mary full of Grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed artworkthou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God entreat for us sinners now and at the hourof death, Amen.&8217 Then he added. &8216 Blessed Virgin, pray for thedeath of this fish, wonderful as he is.&8217 Hemingway 64-65This quote shows that the old man is forced to break the rules of sanity and talks tohimself as well as the fish which cannot hear him. The old man thinks to himself that the fish is a &8220&8220 God fearing fish and by saying the Hail Mary, the fish will give in and let himself be caught. After saying the Hail Mary the Old Man tries to convince himself that his previously hurt hand isokay, when really it is not.In another pop of the story Santiago admits that he is losing his sanity. &8220He did not wantto look at the fish. He knew that half of him had been destroyed Hemingway 114.