Ernest Hemingway’s novel. The Old Man and the Sea. can be construed as an allusion to the Bible and the battles of Jesus based on Santiago’s experiences. Baskett. Sam S. “Toward a ‘Fifth Dimension’ in The Old Man and the Sea. ” The Centennial Review 19. 4 ( Fall 1975 ) : 269-286. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna Sheets-Nesbitt. Vol. 36. Detroit: Gale Group. 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. Baskett provides a elaborate analysis of the symbolic item in The Old Man and the Sea runing from scriptural allusions to Santiago’s aura of “strangeness” . which he says contributes to Hemingway’s “fifth dimensional prose” . He lists multiple illustrations of how Hemingway employs 5th dimensional prose like how Santiago is seldom frequently referred to as “Santiago” but prevalently more as “the old man” or analysing the relationship between Santiago and Manolin. Furthermore and more significantly. he begins to depict the scriptural allusions found in Hemingway’s novel. A big comparing he makes is between a transition in the bible and the symbolism of the king of beastss in Santiago’s dreams. The transition can be summarized to be about usually antithetical and beliing animals that live and play in young person and peace in God’s “holy mountain” wish a king of beasts and an ox or a cow and a bear.

The writer argues many important points in his essay. The comparing between the Bible found in the Bible is one chief resemblance that Baskett makes clear. The relation between the placid and vernal land and Santiago’s dream may be an knowing allusion by Hemingway. In both cases. a peaceable harmoniousness has been materialized out of a state of affairs where fright and strife might hold of course prevailed. Both carry the same subject of peace and harmoniousness in a usually evident and unsafe state of affairs. While the king of beastss in Santiago’s dreams merely youthfully play in the presence of the male child Santiago and his love for Manolin. the king of beastss along with all the other animate beings all play youthfully with a small kid taking them. Although the comparings are non exact. there is so a general resemblance between the two images of “a peace-loving kingdom” .

Flora. Joseph M. “Biblical Allusion in The Old Man and the Sea. ” Studies in Short Fiction 10. 2 ( Spring 1973 ) : 143-147. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna Sheets-Nesbitt. Vol. 36. Detroit: Gale Group. 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. Flora argues that The Old Man and the Sea is Hemingway’s “parable of practical Christianity” . She writes about how Hemingway’s novel illustrates the kernel of Christian discipleship and does so specifically in scriptural footings. She starts with adverting that Santiago is Spanish for Saint James and that Saint James was one of the 12 adherents. most of whom were fishermen.

Additionally. she quotes a narrative from the bible with a similar state of affairs to Santiago’s in The Old Man in the Sea. The scriptural narrative is about Jesus stating a group of fishermen to allow down their cyberspaces. even though the fishermen have non been able to catch anything all dark. When they set it down. they catch a great figure of fish. interrupting the net. They asked another ship to come and assist but the fish filled both boats so that they began to drop. After their boats sink. the fishermen leave everything buttocks and follow Jesus. Flora discusses how there is non a one-to-one analogue between this history and the events of The Old Man and the Sea. but how Hemingway was likely to look at the subject of this parable and animate it in his novel.

This article points out many facets of The Old Man and the Sea being based off of spiritual histories. For illustration. Flora quotes a narrative from the bible about Simon. a fisherman. who took every bit much fish as he could in the net but later ensuing in his loss of the fish when he overflows the boats. Similarly. Hemingway’s novel is about an old adult male who tries his best to set down the marlin. but consequences in the marlin acquiring eaten by sharks when the marlin eventually catches Santiago’s hook. After Simon and his fishermen face the loss. they so join Jesus in discipleship. Though Santiago faces his loss. he becomes more low at the terminal. demoing features of a adherent for his attempts. Pratt. John Clark.

“My pilgrim’s journey: fishing for faith with Hemingway. ( Articles ) . ” The Hemingway Review 21. 1 ( 2001 ) : 78+ . Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. Pratt covers the time-period between 1952 to the present and chronicles his ain attempts to specify and explicate Hemingway’s usage of spiritual allusion in his fiction. Pratt begins to correlate symbols in The Old Man and the Sea to the bible. For illustration. he mentions how Santiago refers to Saint James. who was a great fisherman who is besides considered by some faiths to hold been the brother of Christ. He continues by explicating how the skeleton of the fish. a cosmopolitan Christ symbol. is given to Pedrico. interpreting to Little Peter. to “chop it up and utilize in fish traps” ( 124 ) . He concludes by saying that if people are non really careful to decide cosmopolitan paradoxes. they may good move like Hemingway’s nescient tourers at the terminal who. cognizing none of the inside informations or the history of this symbolic battle. misidentify the skeleton of the marlin for that of its evil opposition. the shark.

Pratt discusses many symbols and scriptural allusions in The Old Man and the Sea. The analysis of the symbols is a strong support to turn out that Hemingway used mentions from the bible to make his novel. Hemingway has combined allusions to Saint James. God and Christ in his novel. Santiago appears both as a God and a male parent figure to the male child. Manolin. which in Spanish is means Emmanuel. Yet it is he who worships. so kills his “brother” ( 57 ) the marlin. who comes “alive with his decease in him” ( 94 ) after holding been pricked in the side with a symbolic lance. Just like the scriptural namesake. Pedrico will have the caput of the symbolic fish to assist “trap” whatever or whoever comes along in the hereafter. besides touching to when Jesus told his adherents that they will follow him to catch work forces. Wilson. . G. R. . Jr. “Incarnation and Redemption in The Old Man and the Sea. ” Studies in Short Fiction 14. 4 ( Fall 1977 ) : 369-373. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna Sheets-Nesbitt. Vol. 36. Detroit: Gale Group. 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Jan. 2013.

Wilson asserts that the clip spans mentioned in The Old Man in the Sea refer to the sacred Christian enigmas of the Incarnation and Redemption. Throughout the essay. he points out a peculiar figure of yearss and relates to the bible. making the allusions. For illustration. Santiago’s being with the male child for 40 yearss and the three yearss covered by this novel are clear mentions to the Fasting in the Wilderness and to Christ’s Passion. severally. Santiago and Christ both achieve victory in evident licking. In add-on. both are besides able to return to their adherent about the title they had accomplished. Reasoning the essay. Wilson states that the Christian symbolism is non merely a rap sheathing trying to give weight to an otherwise everyday narrative. but instead to represent the basic technique by which Hemingway presents his position of adult male as a coherent and per se of import portion of the existence in which he must happen value.

The chief points in this essay to back up the thesis are the allusions made by Wilson between the bible and the novel. Hemingway specifically utilizing 40 and 3 are clear mentions to the Fasting in the Wilderness and to Christ’s Passion. severally. It is during this clip span in Hemingway’s parable that Santiago establishes his claim to heroic stature in the eyes of the male child Manolin and becomes the hero incarnate. While Christ’s victory is over physical decease. Santiago victory over the sharks which. though they destroy the great marlin. can non decrease the gallantry that has led to the brotherhood of adult male and nature culminating between fisherman and fish. Likewise. Santiago and Christ are able to return to their ain adherents with grounds about the hero title they had accomplished ; Santiago returns with the remains of the marlin.

Wittkowski. Wolfgang. “Crucified in the Ring: Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. ” The Hemingway Review 3. 1 ( Fall 1983 ) : 2-17. Rpt. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Anna Sheets-Nesbitt. Vol. 36. Detroit: Gale Group. 2000. Literature Resource Center. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. Wittkowski contends that Santiago’s battle and agony are patterned after that of Christ on the Cross. His first illustration of the analogy is when Santiago sees the shark semen to eat the marlin. “Ay – a noise such as a adult male might do. involuntarily. experiencing the nail go through his manus and into the wood” ( 118 ) .

Furthermore. he says that Santiago is himself the crucifier and slayer. Leaning against the wood. reminding one of Jesus on the Cross. Santiago says. “I’ll kill him though… in all illustriousness and his glory” ( 78 ) . Another illustration is how Santiago is invariably puting on his thorax whenever he is pushed back by the marlin. The writer states that Santiago’s gesture is a fluctuation of the Christ-analogy in which the supporter refuses to acknowledge licking in the “facedown” place.

The writer depicts three clear illustrations of scriptural allusions found in Hemingway’s novel. When Santiago tells himself. “Ay” . he notes that it is the sound of nails traveling through someone’s manus and into the wood. which is clearly apparent of Christ on the Cross. Besides. when Santiago yearns to take down the marlin in its “greatness and his glory” . once more. Christ on the Cross is called to the head. In add-on to what Santiago says. the writer relates his gestures as an allusion to the bible. The changeless “facedown” place of Santiago is another clear correlativity to bible’s supporters declining to acknowledge licking. like how Santiago ne’er gives up on the marlin.