After reading the present task and doing some research on the displayed topic, I think it is fair to conclude that the motifs which are being examined through Santiago's dreams of the lions on the beach are hope and calmness, since in literature dreaming of lions symbolizes youth, strenght, happiness and hope.
Also, lions for Santiago's situation may be a way to reflect his relationship with the marlin for whom he had deep feelings for and feels pity that its death had to take place in order for him to survive.
The motifs are examined through Santiago's dreams of the lions on the beach are strength and possibility
Explanation:
In the story Old man and the Sea the character of Santiago has three dreams about the lions, being the first before he departs on his three-day fishing expedition, the second when he sleeps on the boat in the middle of his struggle with the marlin, and the third at the end of the book, all of this events have in common the feeling of adventure and possibilities of success, taking the lion as a symbol of his strength to triumph.
