Old Man example essay topic

219 words
You might consider that Manolin's name means "little hand". There is a theme in epic literature (and, as I have argued elsewhere, this novel is an epic!) of the father passing his skill and knowledge to a son, handing it down, we say in English. Though Manolin is not the blood son of Santiago, he is a symbolic son, and probably sees Santiago as more of a father than his own father. Santiago has a cramp in the boat. He wishes at that point that he had the boy with him. Manolin represents the helping hand of the man.

The word is based on the Spanish word for hand: mano. Interestingly enough, the word mano in Mexican Spanish is colloquially used for "buddy" or "chum". And one cannot dispute the fact that Manolin is indeed a dear companion of the old man. So, Manolin represents the very legacy of the old man. The old man taught the boy to fish, and the boy loved him. The boy will carry on the trade of the old man, and some day he will pass on his knowledge and skills to another boy.

And so it goes. That is part of the epic theme. And so it goes.