The Old Man and the Sea: The Sea

Seeing as how I have already taken down one aspect of the novel's title I figure it is time to include the other. The sea in the novel is the setting of the majority of the novel but it is so much more than that. The sea represents the vast journey of life that all people must embark upon. It encompasses struggle, joy, and disappointment. The great battle with the fish is struggle, when Santiago finally catches the fish it is joy, and after he makes it back home and the fish has been devoured it is disappointment. The sea is incredibly important to this novel due to it's importance to Santiago. To Santiago it is a second home. He is a fisherman and has been for most of his life so he is very comfortable at sea. He views the sea as a guardian who will keep him save and provide for him, but at times can come close to killing him. It is a double-edged sword and it gives him life and can at any time take it away (much like all mothers say.) In this way the sea is very much like a mother to Santiago. Mother Nature provides for him by giving him food, and a way to make a living. In it's tempests, squalls, and other storms it is deadly though and can destroy Santiago as quickly as it provides for him. The image of the sea being Mother Nature is a very popular notion and Santiago himself refers to the Sea as his provider. When Santiago prays to the Virgin Mary I also thought that the Sea could be interpreted as a symbol for the blessed mother. The notion of the sea being the immaculate provider and giving humanity such a vital source of life could be another representation of the sea symbolically. The sea is arguably the most important aspect of the novel and without it the novel would not have the same weight.