Marlin in The Old Man and the Sea

The marlin serves a great role in "The Old Man and the Sea". This character, although not a human character, makes up the other half of the story along with Santiago. The marlin is what makes the story interesting. Without this character, the book would just be about some old guy that is out at sea for five days doing nothing. The marlin in "The Old Man and the Sea" is described as being massive. We learn at the end of the book that the marlin is eighteen feet long. The fish is also described as being purple and silver striped. "The fish had turned silver from his original purple and silver, and the stripes showed the same pale violet colour as his tail" (Hemingway, 96). Now Santiago did not intentionally set out to sea in hopes of finding this marlin, he was just fishing where the big fish promised to be. The fight between the marlin and Santiago lasted three full days. During these days the marlin fought to stay alive while Santiago fought for the biggest catch of his life. The marlin was very strong and swam pulling the old man and his skiff for a long time before deciding to swim with the current. At the end of the three days the great marlin grows tired and eventually starts to circle and is then killed by Santiago. Even after its death, the fish continues to cause problems for the old man. His scent attracts sharks and in the end there is nothing left of him except for his carcass. I think in this book, the marlin represents your goal. In "The Old Man and the Sea" , Santiago's goal was to catch the marlin. This can teach the reader to never give up and fight until your goal is achieved even if you must go through some hardships to get it. I think the marlin could also symbolize the ideal opponent. The marlin was a great opponent for Santiago because he brought out such great characteristics in him. These included respect, strength, love, and determination.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 1952. Print.