(1) The scene of the old man dreaming of a lion for the first time: On the eve of the 85th day when the old man went out to sea to fish, he dreamed of a lion. In the dream, lions were playing on the beach in the twilight, cute like kittens, and he loved them. This dream appeared when the old man had not caught any fish for eighty-four days and was in a desperate situation, symbolizing his subconscious wildness and the courage and strength to face the test.
(2) The scene of the old man dreaming of a lion for the second time (indirectly mentioning not directly describing the lion, but describing the dream transformation): On the night after fighting with the marlin, the old man did not directly dream of the lion, but first dreamed of a large group of dolphins and himself suffering in the cold wind. But then, the dream changed and he saw the long yellow beach and the lions that came to the beach at dusk. The transformation of this dream reflects the psychological change of the old man's renewed fighting spirit after being frustrated and shaken.
(3) The scene of the old man dreaming of a lion for the third time: After the old man returned to the fishing port as a "failed hero", he fell asleep tired and the lion appeared again in his dream. This is the last sentence of the book, 'The old man is dreaming of a lion'. This dream occurs when the old man experiences a struggle with a marlin and a shark, and ultimately only brings back a fish skeleton, symbolizing that his determination to fight for life and ideals will not change, and the sea has not conquered him.