Oct 10 2007
Old Man Symbolism
The old man and the fish are the greatest symbols in the book. I think the biggest symbol in the book is the old man talking and contradicting himself but also the boy. It shows that the old man is truly alone on the sea.
He did not remember when he had first started to talk aloud when he was by himself. He had sung when he was by him self in the old days and he had sung at night sometimes… He had probably started to talk aloud, when alone, when the boy had left… But now he said his thoughts aloud many times since there was no one to annoy…
It also shows that the old man isn’t crazy, he only talks to him self to break the silence. I think that when the old man talks and contradicts himself it keeps him form going crazy. It gives a symbol of the sanity of the old man and his determination.
