The symbolism in The Old Man and The Sea 初稿Word下载.docx

The symbolism in The Old Man and The Sea 初稿Word下载.docx

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标签：

老人与海

象征主义

论文

文化

分类：

英文随笔

Contents

IIntroduction

1.1Anintroductiontotheauthor

1.2Abriefintroductiontothismasterpiece

1.3Asummaryofformerstudies

IISymbolismanalysisinthenovel

2.1Thedefinitionofsymbolism

2.2Hemingway’s“icebergtheory”relatedtosymbolism

2.3Hemingway’sownviewonsymbolisminthenovel

2.4Symbolismanalysis

2.4.1Thetitle

2.4.2Thesea（includemanysymbols）

2.4.3Otherminorsymbols

2.5Generalreviewonsymbolism

IIIConclusion

3.1Thesignificanceofthepresentstudy

3.2Perspectivesforfurtherstudy

Bibliography

Introduction

RegardedasagiantbothinAmericanliteratureandtheworldliterature,ErnestHemingwaywasbornonJuly21,1898,atOakPark,Illinois.Inhischildhood,influencedbyhisfather,hewasinterestedinmusic,pictures,hunting,fishingandthelike.

Hisvarietyofinterestespeciallytheloveoffishingextremelyaffectedallhislifeandhedrewmuchwritinginspirationfromhisfishingexperience.Takingadventuresalsoplaysavitalroleinhislifeandforthisreasonheexperiencedthetwoworldwars.Asanoticeablerepresentativeofthe“LostGeneration”,Hemingwaypublishedthebooksofthissort,TheSunAlsoRisesattheageof26.Becausethebookchieflydealswiththelivingattitudeofpost—wargeneration,especiallythelifeofthosewoundedsoldiersandlonelinessanddisillusionmentofmodernpeoplewhoseidealswereshattersatatimewhen“Godisdead”,theythoughtlifewasnothingandmeaningless.Inthiscase,Hemingwaybecamespokespersonforthe“TheLostGeneration”.

Actuallyaparableofman’sstruggleagainstthenature,TheOldManandTheSeawaspublishedin1952.Acknowledgedashisbestwork,thenovelreinvigoratedHemingway’sliteraryreputationaftertheviolentattackshereceivedfromAcrosstheRiverandIntotheTrees.Thepositivereactionthatfollowedthenovelincludedpraisenotonlyfromthereviewersbutalsofromaboardspectrumofthemass,fromordinaryreaderstofellowmenofletters.Withthisbook,itseemedthatHemingwayhadshownhecouldstillachieveamajortriumph,whetherornotthereviewersandcriticsorthepubliccouldappreciatetruevalueofhisachievement.TheOldManandTheSeawasawardedthePulitzerPrizein1953andHemingway’sfamousicebergtechnique,whichisasimplebuthighlysuggestivestyle,wasvividlyembodiedinthework,thushewasawardedtheNobelPrizeforhis“masteryoftheartofmodernnarration”.

Inaccordancewiththeformerstudyofthismasterpiece,wecanfindpeopleoftendothedeepanalysisfromthefollowingperspectives:

Theartisticwritingstyle;

Hemingway’sunyieldingcharacter;

thecharacteristicsofstreamconsciousness;

Hemingway’sawarenessofdeath;

icebergtheoryandaestheticalphilosophyofthisnoveletc.

ⅡSymbolismanalysisinthenovel

2.1TheDefinitionofsymbolism

Inliterature,asymbolisathingthatstandsfororsuggestssomethingelsebyreasonofrelationship,association,conventionoraccidentalresemblance,especially,avisiblesignofsomethinginvisible（forexamplethelionisasymbolofcourageandthecrossisthesymbolofChristianity）.Thesymbolgenerallydosenotstandsforthemeaning,notforanythingabsolutelydefinite;

itevokesanobjectthatsuggeststhemeaning.Hemingwayperfectlyused“symbolism”inthisnovelwriting.

2.2Hemingway’s“icebergtheory”relatedtosymbolism

Asthepapermentionedforgoing,Hemingwaywastoogoodfamousforhisicebergtechnique.Hebelievedagoodwriterdoesnotneedtorevealeverydetailofacharacteroraction;

theone—eighththatispresentedwillsuggestallothermeaningfuldimensionsofthestory,whereastheotherseven—eighthofwhichisconcealedbeneaththesurfaceofthewaterinwhichitfloats.ThusHemingway’slanguageishighlysymbolicandsuggestive.Therewon’tbegreatdifficultiestounderstandtheliterarymeaningofhisshortsentencesandsimplewordsifonetakesitforgranted,butaworkbyHemingwaydemandsdeliberateattention.Inotherword,onehastokeepacloseeyeonHemingway’swordsandtoreadbetweenthelinesbecauseofhishighlysymboliclanguage.

2.3Hemingway’sownviewonsymbolisminthenovel

AlthoughI’veindicatedthatHemingwayusedmanysymbolsandtheysymbolizedmanyotherthingsinthemasterpiece,heheldaquitedifferentattitudetowardstheexpertsandcritics.Heoncepointedoutthatataletrulytoldcouldmeanmanythings.However,atthesametimehereaffirmed:

“thereisnotanysymbolism.Theseaisthesea;

theoldmanistheoldman;

theboyistheboyandthefishisthefish;

thesharksareallsharksnobetterandnoworse.Allthesymbolismthatpeoplesayisshit.Whatgoesbeyondiswhatyouseebeyondwhenyouknow.”Butthenhealsoadmittedthatifhewrotegoodandvividenough,thosethingsinthenovelcouldreallypresentotherthings.Personally,thereaderhastotakeHemingway’sownviewonsymbolismintoconsiderationwhenhetriestogiveaninterpretationbecauseonlyhehimselfknowsexactlywhathewantedtosaywhenhewrotethisstory.

2.4Symbolismanalysis

Forthesakeofconvenience,herethepaperwillgivetheirreverentelementsaloss.Putitsimply,itwillchieflyfocusitsattentionondiscussingthesymbolsinthenovelandwhatonearththeysymbolizeinthefollowingpassage.

Tobeginwith,thetitleofthebookitselfisthesymbol.Theoldmanrepresentsthehumanraceandtheseasymbolizesnature.Thewholestorycouldbeeyedasthemetaphorofthestrugglethattakesplacebetweenhumanbeingsandthenature.Butthestoryalsoindicatesthatnatureistosomeextentsuperiorandthatthehumankindisnotabletowinthisfighting.TosupportthisthesisIapplyhereastatementmadebytheoldman“Itisgoodthatwedonothavetotrytokillthesunandthemoonorthestars.Itisenoughtoliveontheseaandkillourtruebrothers.”Santiagoknowsthatmankindisalwaysinferior;

headmitsheishappythathedoesnothavetotryandkillthemoonorthestarsbecauseheknowstheyaremuchstrongerandthathewouldalwaysbedefeatedinafightagainstthem.Theoldman,SantiagotosomedegreesymbolizesChristinmanyways.HisnamederivesfromSanDiego（SaintJames）,suggestingtheoldman’stiestotheChristianreligion.Andheembodiesmuchofthatreligion.Forinstance,hisstrongrighthandishissalvationandhislefthandisthetraitortohisbody,hecarrieshismastupthehilltohishomeandfallsbeneathitlikeChristbearingcross.Andfinallyinoneunmistakablesymbolismline,hecarriesoutasamanwould“fellingthenailgoesthroughthishandandintothewood”YetSantiagoinfactisnotaferventChristian.Theholyimagesthatadornhisshackbelongtohisdeadwifenottohim.AndheadmitsheisnotaveryreligiousmanevenasheoffersGodapromisetosaynumerousprayersifGodwillallowhimtocatchhisfish.AsamatteroffactthereisalsoapaganelementrunningthroughSantiagocharacters（asthereisthoughmuchofactualCubannature）;

inmanywaystheseaisthedeitypredatingChristianity.Inaddition,Santiagoalsoservesasametaphorforthecreativeartist.

Secondly,themajorsymbolisthesea,whichstandsforalllifeonwhichmanmustsail.Inboththeseaandthelife,thereareseriouspossibilitiesthatliehiddenfromthecommoneye,somearegiftstobetreasuredandsomeareproblemstobeovercameanddefeated.Neitherwillbefoundunlessmanembarksonthejourneys;

ifmanisluckyenoughtodiscoveratreasure（maybeitisloveorfamilyoreducation）,hemustfightuntildeathtoretainit;

ifmanisunluckyenoughtodiscoveranevillurkingunderneathsurfaceofthesea,andhemustfightbravelyuntiltheend.Theseareso—called“graceunderpressure”and“toughguy”bysomecritics.InHemingway’sopinion,itisthestrugglewhichisall—important,andamancanobtainthestatusofheroifhebattlesthesea（life）withgraceunderpressure.InthenovelSantiagoundergoesaseajourney（life）andencountersagiantmarlin（treasure）.Hebattlesnoblytoearnthetreasureandfightsthesharks（problems）toserveit.SothestruggledefinesSantiagoasahero.Eventhoughhelosesthetreasure（marlin）tosharks（problems）hehadwonthebattle.Thirdly,therearesomanyobviousChrist-relatedsymbolsinthestorybecausefromthebeginningofthestorythereaderisshownauniquerelationshipbetweenSantiagoandManolin.TheirrelationshipparallelsthatofChrisandhisdisciples.TheboyinfactisSantiago’sdiscipleandSantiagoteacheshimknowledgeaboutfishingandlife.OneofthegreatestlessonsSantiagogivesisthatofthesimplefaith“havefaithintheYankees,myson”.ThistypeoffaithreflectsthebasicprincipleofChristianity.Moreover,therelationbetweenSantiagoandMarlininshortisself-containedandself-meaning;

notonlyistheirstrugglewithouthostilitybutbecausethestruggleitselfisthelinkinthatholychainsoflife-and–deathwhosesolereasonsitsownexistence—thecontestbecomesanactoflove,almostanworship.Thusthespecialrelationshipbetweentheoldmanandthemarlinsymbolizesabrotherlyaffectionbetweenpeopleandnature.

Inadditiontothemainsymbolsmentionedabove,therearemanyminorsymbolsinthisstory,forinstance,theseaandtheexperience,whichtheoldmanstruggleagainstthegiantfish,canberegardedastheminiaturesofthepeople’slife.Theoldman’sweatherwornfacesy