The soul of a man is difficult to comprehend for it is something invisible, yet essential to everyday life. Some people believe that the soul is responsible for one’s decisions, behaviors, and character traits in addition to whether the person will be satisfied in the afterlife. The belief in an omnipresent spirit is common in most religions, but in Christianity, there has been no person in history with a more loving, noble, and innocent soul than Jesus Christ, but for many years, people have tried to have at least half of that character. From the twelve disciples of the New Testament, to more recent people such as Shirley Chisholm and Barack Obama, many have persisted to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. In Ernest Hemingway’s novella, “Old Man and …show more content…
As the plot thickens, a clear bond between man and nature is developed, but it is short lived. Santiago communicates with the birds, fish, stars, and all aspects of nature while considering them his “brother[s],” but when a shark appears, the relationship is broken. During the time of the crucifixion, Jesus prophesies a betraying force within his closest group of friends or essentially “brothers.” Knowing who will be the cause of his downfall does not deter him as he continues to travel the road of death. In conjunction with Santiago, this symbolizes the old man’s forecasting of sharks when he sadly admits, “It is over. They will probably hit me again,” and they do. He can release the fish at any given time by cutting the line, yet he returns home with just the skeleton of his once beautiful …show more content…
In this situation, the motif of the Crucifixion strengthens the plot for it helps illustrate the man’s courage and perseverance. It is clear that these allusions to the cross are symbolic of the man’s character and the symbols of the soul. In this struggle between man and nature, the symbolic motif of Jesus and the Crucifixion supports the plot by applying it to the main character, Santiago, who suffers injuries, infidelity, and defeat, yet rises from his ashes just as the religious