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What Does Santiago Symbolize

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The main character, Santiago, is seen as a joke because he hasn’t been able to catch a fish in eighty-three days. Even though Santiago returns to his village empty-handed he is still dedicated and believes in himself and goes out everyday to fish. The only person in his village who still believes in his work is his apprentice and friend Manolin. Once Santiago began to be seen as a joke, Manolin’s parents told the young boy he couldn’t go see the old man. When the eighty-fourth day hit Santiago became annoyed to be seen as a joke throughout the village, he then travelled even further than his original spot and went into unknown territory. The old man also had to last three days with the chase of his life when he catches the biggest …show more content…

Once the eighty-fourth day hit Santiago was tired of being seen as the joke of the village and as promised decided to change his daily routine. Santiago travelled further out to sea and wandered into unknown territory unlike his regular fishing spot. As soon as the old man found a spot in unknown territory and prepares his lines and hooks and drops them into the water. After waiting for something to bite the line he gets a big fish, in which he knows is a marlin, and attempts to pull the fish into the boat. Instead of Santiago being able to successfully pull the fish into the boat, the fish begins to pull the …show more content…

The morning after the old man returns back to his village he awakens to find a crowd of villagers surrounded around his boat. All the villagers were amazed looking at the skeleton of the giant marlin fish Santiago had caught. Although none of the villagers knew of the troubles and the journey the old man they had mistaken the giant marlin fish for a shark. The young boy, Manolin, fetches the old Cuban man his daily coffee and newspaper with the daily baseball scores and watches Santiago rest peacefully in his bed. Later, when the old man awakes, the old man and the young boy agree to fish together once

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