Santiago
finds himself in this androgynous position because he
has lost his authority and the only way of retrieving it
will be to catch fish. This is what
keeps Santiago going out alone in his little skiff everyday. This is what Santiago
dreams about every night: “He only dreamed…of
the lions on the beach” (25). The
lion is the archetypal image of the king of the beasts. In the old man’s dreams he
projects his desire to be the king, regaining the superior
position that being a man holds.
Despite the societal constraints against the old man, his age is beginning
to take a
toll on his physical prowess. Even the young pupil questioned
the old man’s strength, yet the old man said that he knew many
tricks (14). It would be
on his quest when the truth of this would come out.
