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Symbolism In Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

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How The Old Man and the Sea’s Symbol’s Relate to Me
I always thought the Ocean was a dark and dangerous place, however Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea showed me that the Ocean is an environment that has many symbolic meanings which relate to many people’s lives. Each part of the Ocean represents something in real life and can be used to tell many stories. Throughout my life, I encountered many hardships and challenges similar, but on a smaller scale to the main character of the novel, Santiago. In the daring story of Santiago, an old fisherman who hasn’t caught a fish for 84 days battles the forces of nature to get his biggest catch. The symbols in the novel helps readers personally connects their lives with the book. With comparison …show more content…

Likewise, I had to put in hard work and dedication to manage to at least get an A in AP World History. To Santiago, catching a big fish is a huge mental and physical challenge to prove that he is still a great fisherman even in his old age. The big fish symbolizes the thirst to prove to his community to gain respect and dignity. In my life, I have never been fully consistent is grades, but taking this enormous class was a chance to prove that I could excel in academics. At the end of the story, Santiago manages to catch and kill a giant Marlin by waiting for three grueling days. Also, I had stay till midnight every day for three months studying for the AP exam and I managed to pass with good results. Santiago and I were both in pursuit of a goal that seemed difficult, while being discouraged by others. However, through hard work and patience, we were both able to catch our big fish. Secondly, the sharks in the novel symbolizes the how success can be easily destroyed. In Santiago’s adventure, the old man manages to catch an enormous Marlin, but sadly, many sharks come and eat the carcass of the fish. Likewise, when I used to play soccer, my confidence would undermine my ability to play. Even though I successfully made it on the highest travel team, I still didn’t play as well as I could because I lost my confidence. This was because of how I would often loose the ball from an opponent or the coach would yell at me

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