The Old Man and the Sea

by

Ernest Hemingway

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Old Man and the Sea makes teaching easy.

The Old Man and the Sea Symbols

The Marlin

The marlin is the giant, 18-foot fish that battles with Santiago in the middle of the ocean for three days and three nights. Although Santiago hooks the marlin on his first afternoon at sea, the… read analysis of The Marlin

Lions

Both in his bed in the village and in his boat, Santiago dreams of lions on the beaches of Africa, which he saw when he was a boy on a ship that sailed and fished… read analysis of Lions

The Sharks

Scavengers and little more than swimming appetites, the sharks are Santiago's fiercest antagonists. Although Santiago manages to kill most of them, they tear apart the marlin's body and leave Santiago devastated. While the… read analysis of The Sharks

The Mast

At the end of The Old Man and the Sea, the exhausted Santiago removes his mast from his skiff, and haltingly drags it up the beach to his shack by resting one end of… read analysis of The Mast