The Sea. the old man and sea

The sea has been depicted as a living character by the novel. The title suggests the sea is a central character of the novel. Most of the story takes place on the sea. Santiago is constantly identified with it and its creatures. Santiago always thinks of the sea as feminine in the light of Spanish poetry. Some other fisherman speaks of the sea as masculine. They think of the sea as a contestant. According to Santiago, the sea always behaves in womanish temper. Santiago, it gets angry and produces storm causing great dangers for fisherman. Sometimes, it is happy and do cile like a woman and allows her lovers to play on its smooth surface.

The sea is a real character in the novel. It has its own relation with other characters of the novel. It has its own sound, atmosphere, flow and colors. It proves horrible in storm and treacherous in calm. It treats the old man rather terrible by supplying a shoal of sharks to eat up his prized fish. On the other hand, it also lets Santiago sail peacefully and continues to supply him food in the form of tuna, shrimps, dolphin and flying fish.

Santiago loves the sea as she houses his friends and enemies. Both the fish and the sharks are sustained by the tortoises. The old man loves sea creatures such as turtles and the old man feels at home in the sea and says that one is never alone at the sea. Small bids and big birds always fly over its surface.

We are convinced in considering the sea as a living character.

The sea is a great teacher. It teaches the sailors and the fisherman how to love and earn their sustenance. It also teaches  spiritual, moral and philosophic lessons to reflective characters like Santiago. The sea has its own rules and regulations. At times, it is docile, favourable and meaningful. At times, it is treacherous, horrible, stormy and destructive.

The sea is also the symbol of life. The depth, the width and the length of the sea is unknown. The same is the case with life. As sea is full of  intricacies, uncertainties and ambiguities, so is the life. Sea is a symbol of powerful forces of nature.

Muhammad Sohail Arif