THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA SYMBOLISM

FIRST SYMBOL: DOLPHINS

• Dolphins are porpoises that swim in schools.
• The school of Dolphins represents the themes of friendship and togetherness in the book, not just as a school but with Santiago as well.

SECOND SYMBOL: PORTUGUESE MAN-OF-WAR

• The man of-war is a jellyfish with bright colors.
• The man-of-war represents the evil in the sea. It lures men and creatures with its beauty and then stings them.

THIRD SYMBOL: THE GREAT DIMAGGIO

• The Great DiMaggio is a baseball player who was a legend at the time of the story.
• The Great DiMaggio represents perseverance and Santiago uses it to give him confidence for fishing.

FOURTH SYMBOL: THE MARLIN

• The marlin is a big fish with a swordnose.
• It represents Santiago's goal to strive and persevere for in his life. This illustrates the theme of perseverance in the book.

FIFTH SYMBOL: THE SHARK

• The shark is a large creature that kills Santiago's fish and destroys his chances of gaining respect from the other fishermen.
• The shark represents the crushing of people's hopes and dreams and the defeat we feel when our goals are not met.