My Interpretation of 'The Old Man and the Sea'

My Interpretation of ‘The Old Man and the Sea’

                           Religion plays a major role in the novella. Santiago is a fisherman and so, he always goes to sea to fetch the fishes but sometimes he feels that he does sin by fishing. At the same time  , he also thinks that he is a born-fisherman. So, it is his ‘Karma’. So, he doesn’t give up. This shows his determined nature, too. Though he is old, he is very enthusiastic. Hemingway very artistically narrates this and shows the positive quality of an old man. In old man’s life, such a situation comes that 84 days he remains without catching a fish but in spite of it he is enthusiastic for fishing. One day he goes far-away in the sea and sees a marlin and decides to catch it and without eating and sleeping, he constantly waits for marlin and with full of his strength, he finally catches it which is more bigger than his skiff. It is his victory. No any fisherman has ever caught marlin, so for his pride and to prove himself, he catches it. Joe Di-Maggio was his model who was an excellent baseball player. He is Santiago’s inspiration. In the way, while he was returning by taking marlin, he faced the sharks who attacked on marlin but old man got victory because he came with marlin though head and carcass of marlin were only remained. At the home, because he was exhausted, he sleeps on the bad and he sleeps like a Jesus Christ. It is also symbolic.

                                   Religion, morality, determined nature plays a great role in the novella.