老人与海人物分析

湖南商学院学期论文

1 The background

The

Old

Man

and

the

Sea

is

American

novelist

Hemingway’s

short

novel.

The

novel

mainly

tells

us

the

story

that

an

over

sixty

years

old

fisherman ,Santiago ,when he went to sea alone for fishing, he discovered

a big marlin fish which surpassed the fishing boat several fold, although

he

knew

perfectly

that

it

was

difficult

to

win,

but

he

did

not

give

up.

Unfortunately,

the

wound

of

the

big

marlin

fish

send

out

fishy

smell,

which brought in several crowds of sharks to snatch the food. But the old

man

still

did

not

give

up.

He

highlighted

encircles

tightly.

Finally,

he

succeeded in returning to the fishing port with the fish belted. The novel

indicates the heroism which the leading character embodies to us, as well

as the cruel and absurd so

cial nature. It explains that people can’t exist

without indomitable spirit and courage. They should embody the survival

value

of

themselves.

It

reveals

a

truth:

A

person

is

not

going

to

be

defeated as soon as he is born and a person could be die out but could not

be defeated.

2 The language

The language in The Old Man and the Sea is simple and natural on

the surface, but actually its language is deliberate and artificial. Santiago

is

the

heroic

image

that

Hemingway

molded.

No

matter

whether

he

is

luck or is out of luck, the old man always carries out hard struggling and

he is never discouraged. He also embodies one kind of elegant bearing.

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湖南商学院学期论文

The sea symbolizes the actual life, and it is eternal, mysterious. On the

one hand, it is intermittently benevolent, which will bring thick gains to

you sometimes. On the other hand, it is intermittently ruthless, which will

billow

billows

and

makes

you

a

hairbreadth

escape.

The

marlin

fish

symbolizes

the

target

which

people

are

eager

to

reach

for;

however,

people’s idea

l is always too fine to reach for. The shark symbolizes the

tragedy

factor

which

people

will

never

be

able

to

get

rid

of.

It

often

appears

in

your

most

enjoyable

complacent

moment.

The

old

man

just

symbolizes

the

abstract

spirit

of

human

beings.

The

book’s

crucifixion

imagery emphasizes the cyclical connection between life and death, just

as the same as Santiago’s battle with the marlin. His successfully bringing

back the marlin brings him the awed respect of the fishermen who once

mocked

him,

and

secures

him

the

companionship

of

Marlin

,and

the

fishing

skills

which

the

apprentices

will

carry

on

Santiago’s

teachings

long after the old man has died.

3 The spirit

Throughout the novel, no matter how bad the circumstances become,

the old man exhibits an unflagging determination to catch the marlin and

bring it to the shore. The old man meets every challenge with the same

unwavering determination: he is willing to die in order to bring back the

marlin,

and

he

is

willing

to

die

in

order

to

struggle

with

the

feeding

sharks. It is the conscious decision to act, to fight, to never give up that

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湖南商学院学期论文

enables Santiago to avoid being defeated. Although he returns to Havana

without the trophy of his long battle, he returns with the knowledge that

he

has

acquitted

himself

proudly

and

manfully.

Hemingway

seems

to

suggest

that

victory

is

not

a

prerequisite

for

honor.

Instead,

glory

only

depends upon the fact that one has the pride to see a struggle through to

its end, regardless of the outcome. Even if the old man had returned with

the marlin intact, his moment of glory, like the marlin’s meat, would have

been short-lived. The glory and honor Santiago accrues comes not from

his battle itself but from his pride and determination to fight.

Choosing the sea as the background embodies the significance of the

work. The sea and the destiny of humans are vitally interrelated, taking

the sea as the real society that represents deaf to all words and dangerous.

The

changeable

sea,

the

shark’s

ferocious

cruelty

stands

for

the

world

force

of

the

real

world.

Santiago

experienced

84

days

bitterly

fight,

finally, he caught a big marlin fish which was longer than his fish canoe.

However,

he

mopped

the

empty

rack

of

marlin

fish;

the

shark

had

deprived

his

war

trophies.

But

the

old

man

did

not

desperate;

he

still

loved life, and dreamed a lion which symbolized the strength. We can say

that

his

life

belongs

to

himself,

the

sea;

the

boat

also

belongs

to

him.

Maybe he going to sea tomorrow is a fruitless labor, he always enjoys it

during the 84 day’s figh

t, and he must face up with all kinds of hardships.

writing style

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