The Old Man and the Sea Group

Question:

maus1
maus1
Student
High School - 11th Grade

In the last sentence of the novel "The Old Man in the Sea" the old man is dreaming of lions. What do the lions symbolize for him?

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Posted by maus1 on Friday April 4, 2008 at 10:38 AM and tagged with lions, santiago, symbols, the old man and the sea.

Answers:


  1. dymatsuoka

    eNotes Editor

    The lions symbolize youth, strength, happiness, and hope for the old man.

    Santiago's dream about the lions is first described in the opening fifteen pages of the book.  He used to see the lions playing on the beaches of Africa, where he grew up, and he remembers that "they played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them".  In the midst of his epic battle with the big fish, Santiago again dreams about the lions, and "he (is) happy".

    The significance of the book ending with a final reference to the dream of lions is that it shows that the old man, although battered and beaten possibly to the point of death by his encounter on the sea, still retains the ability to hope and dream - of returning to the challenges of life, of celebrating once again the vigor of his youth, of living like the "young cats" frolicking on the sand.  The story ends on a positive note, because the old man is happy when he is dreaming of lions, and whether he regains the strength to return to his beloved pursuits or not, his spirit remains indomitable.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/omas/theme

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Sunday April 6, 2008 at 2:27 PM

  2. subrota
    subrota Student
    Graduate School

    This passage, which describes Santiago’s dreams on the night before he sets out for his fishing expedition (the first day that the narrative covers), simultaneously confirms and moves beyond Hemingway’s immediately recognizable vision of the universe. Hemingway made his career telling stories about “great occurrences,” “great fish,” and “contests of strength.” The fact that Santiago no longer dreams of any of these makes him unique among Hemingway’s heroes. Of course, by dreaming of lions he is still in a recognizably “Hemingwayesque” world, but the lions here are at play and thus suggest a time of youth and ease. They are also linked explicitly to Manolin, a connection that is made apparent at the end of the novel as the boy watches over his aged friend as Santiago’s dream of the lions returns.

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    Posted by subrota on Saturday December 12, 2009 at 7:55 AM