The Old Man and the Sea.docx

The Old Man and the Sea.docx

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TheOldManandtheSea

TheOldManandtheSeaisthemostclassicandconcernfulnovelofHemmingway's.Itscompendiousexpressionandexcitingfightingnarrativeattractsnumerousreaders.Theauthorrepeatedlyemphasizedhiscustomarykeythoughtsinthestory:

despairingcourage,strugglingonbothphysicallyandpsychologically,andthehero'sbrave,gloryandnoblecharacter.

　　Oneofthepivotalsentences,"amancanbedestroyedbutnotdefeated"drawsourattention.Thissentenceisgorgeousinsurfacebutalittledoubtfulinacertainangle.Intheendofthestorytheoldmantoldtotheboythathewasaloserwhobeatenbythesharks.Withhisbloodyhandsandtheskeletonofthefish,itwasreallydifficulttojudgethathewasdefeatedornot.However,hewasundoubtedlydestroyedinthefightingatthehopelesssea.Therefore,thedifferencebetween"destroy"and"defeated"wasjustsomethinguntraceable.Wearenotexpectedtotellonewordformanother,buttofeeltheantinomyandcontactofthem.

　　Thissentencefromtheoldmanwasalsoareflectionoftheauthorhimself.Sometimeswemaytreatanovelassomeindividualandemotionalwords.Theoldmanandtheseawerethesymbolsoftheauthorandhislifeanddestiny.Asweknow,Hemingwaysufferedalotfromhisbrokenlifeduringtworuthlessworldwars.Inhislateyears,hewasasuccessfullitterateurbutalsoadisableoldman.Heendeduphislifewithsuicide.It'stooarbitrarytosayhewasdefeatedfromhisfate,andalsotooshallowtousetheword"destroy"inhisexperiences.

　　Symbolismofcharacter

　　SantiagorepresentsChristsuffering.HemingwaycompareshimtoJesusChristonseveraloccasions.HedescribesSantiago'scryasa"...anoisesuchasamanmightmake，involuntarily，feelingthenailgothroughhishandandintothewood".Santiagoalso"...pickedthemastupandputitonhisshoulderandstarteduptheroad.He...[sat]downfivetimesbeforehereachedhisshack"muchlikeJesusdidonthejourneytohiscrucifixion，carryingthecross.LaterSantiagosleeps"...facedown...withhisarmsoutstraightandthepalmsofhishandsup"，thepositionofJesusonthecross.Allthroughoutthebooktheoldmanwishesforsalt，astapleseasoninginthehumandiet.Heisafisherman，similartoChrist'sdisciples.Itisalsoquiteironicthatheislongingforsaltintheenvironmentthataboundsinbesidesopenspace，saltyseawater.Quitelikethepredicamentofman，hefeelsheissurroundedby"it"yetitisprecisely"it"thathelongsfor.Hewishesthedissolvedsalt（it）couldcrystallizeandbeintelligibletohim.

　　Themarlinrepresentswhatmanissearchingforwhetheritmaybegoodorbad.Somemenlovetheirgods，buthehatesthefishasmenhatetheirgods.ThefishwasverybeautifulandhugeandSantiagofeltaconnectionwithit，consideringithisbrother.HemingwaysaysthatSantiagoisnotareligiousman，butheseemstohavesomefaithasshownbyhisofferstosayhis"HailMarys"andpraisesifhecatchesthemarlin

TheOldManandtheSeamayverywellbecomeoneofthetrueclassicsofthisgeneration.Certainly,thequalitiesofErnestHemingway'sshortnovelarethosewhichweassociatewithmanygreatstoriesofthepast:

nearperfectionofformwithinthelimitationsofitssubjectmatter,restraintoftreatment,regardfortheunitiesoftimeandplace,andevocativesimplicityofstyle.Also,likemostgreatstories,itcanbereadonmorethanonelevelofmeaning.Ononeitisanexcitingbuttragicadventurestory.Sustainedbytheprideofhiscalling,theonlypridehehasleft,abrokenoldfishermanventuresfaroutintotheGulfStreamandtherehooksthebiggestmarlineverseeninthosewaters.Then,aloneandexhaustedbyhisstruggletoharpoonthegiantfish,heisforcedintoalosingbattlewithmaraudingsharks;theyleavehimnothingbuttheskeletonofhiscatch.Onanotherlevelthebookisafableoftheunconquerablespiritofman,acreaturecapableofsnatchingspiritualvictoryfromcircumstancesofdisasterandmaterialdefeat.Onstillanotheritisaparableofreligioussignificance,itsthemesupportedbythewriter'sunobtrusivehandlingofChristiansymbolsandmetaphors.LikeColeridge'sAncientMariner,Hemingway'sCubanfishermanisacharacterallowingtheimaginationofhiscreatortooperatesimultaneouslyintwodifferentworldsofmeaningandvalue,theonerealanddramatic,theothermoralanddevotionallysymbolic.

ForeightyfourdaysoldSantiagohadnotcaughtasinglefish.Atfirstayoungboy,Manolin,hadsharedhisbadfortune,butafterthefortiethlucklessdaytheboy'sfathertoldhissontogoinanotherboat.FromthattimeonSantiagoworkedalone.EachmorningherowedhisskiffoutintotheGulfStreamwherethebigfishwere.Eacheveninghecameinempty-handed.

Theboylovedtheoldfishermanandpitiedhim.IfManolinhadnomoneyofhisown,hebeggedorstoletomakesurethatSantiagohadenoughtoeatandfreshbaitsforhislines.Theoldmanacceptedhiskindnesswithhumilitythatwaslikeaquietkindofpride.OvertheireveningmealsofriceorblackbeanstheywouldtalkaboutthefishtheyhadtakeninluckiertimesoraboutAmericanbaseballandthegreatDiMaggio.Atnight,aloneinhisshack,SantiagodreamedoflionsonthebeachesofAfrica,wherehehadgoneonasailingshipyearsbefore.Henolongerdreamedofhisdeadwife.

Ontheeighty-fifthdaySantiagorowedoutoftheharborinthecooldarkbeforedawn.Afterleavingthesmelloflandbehindhim,hesethislines.Twoofhisbaitswerefreshtunastheboyhadgivenhim,aswellassardinestocoverhishooks.Thelineswentstraightdownintodeepdarkwater.

Asthesunrosehesawotherboatsintowardshore,whichwasonlyalowgreenlineonthesea.Ahoveringman-of-warbirdshowedhimwheredolphinwerechasingsomeflyingfish,buttheschoolwasmovingtoofastandtoofaraway.Thebirdcircledagain.ThistimeSantiagosawtunaleapinginthesunlight.Asmallonetookthehookonhissternline.Haulingthequiveringfishaboard,theoldmanthoughtitagoodomen.

Towardnoonamarlinstartednibblingatthebaitwhichwasonehundredfathomsdown.Gentlytheoldmanplayedthefish,abigone,asheknewfromtheweightontheline.Atlasthestrucktosettlethehook.Thefishdidnotsurface.Instead,itbegantotowtheskifftothenorthwest.Theoldmanbracedhimself,thelinetautacrosshisshoulders.Althoughhewasaloneandnolongerstrong,hehadhisskillandknewmanytricks.Hewaitedpatientlyforthefishtotire.

Theoldmanshiveredinthecoldthatcameaftersunset.Whensomethingtookoneofhisremainingbaits,hecutthelinewithhissheathknife.Oncethefishlurchedsuddenly,pullingSantiagoforwardonhisfaceandcuttinghischeek.Bydawnhislefthandwasstiffandcramped.Thefishhadheadednorthward;therewasnolandinsight.AnotherstrongtugonthelineslicedSantiago'srighthand.Hungry,hecutstripsfromthetunaandchewedthemslowlywhilehewaitedforthesuntowarmhimandeasehiscrampedfingers.

Thatmorningthefishjumped.Seeingitleap,Santiagoknewhehadhookedthebiggestmarlinhehadevenseen.Thenthefishwentunderandturnedtowardtheeast.Santiagodranksparinglyfromhiswaterbottleduringthehotafternoon.Tryingtoforgethiscuthandandachingback,herememberedthedayswhenmenhadcalledhimCampeonandhehadwrestledwithagiantNegrointhetavernatCienfuegos.OnceanairplanedronedoverheadonitswaytoMiami.

Closetonightfalladolphintookthesmallhookhehadrebaited.Heliftedthefishaboard,carefulnottojerkthelineoverhisshoulder.Afterhehadrested,hecutfilletsfromthedolphinandkeptalsothetwoflyingfishhefoundinitsmaw.Thatnightheslept.Heawoketofeelthelinerunningthroughhisfingersasthefishjumped.Feedinglineslowly,hetriedtotirethemarlin.Afterthefishsloweditsrun.hewashedhiscuthandsinseawaterandateoneoftheflyingfish.Atsunrisethemarlinbegantocircle.Faintanddizzy,heworkedtobringthebigfishnearerwitheachturn.Almostexhausted,hefinallydrewhiscatchalongsideanddroveintheharpoon.Hedrankalittlewaterbeforehelashedthemarlintobowandsternofhisskiff.Thefishwastwofeetlongerthantheboat.NocatchlikeithadeverbeenseeninHavanaharbor.Itwouldmakehisfortune,hethought,ashehoistedhispatchedsailsandsethiscoursetowardthesouthwest.

Anhourlaterhesightedthefirstshark.ItwasafierceMako,anditcameinfasttoslashwithrakingteethatthedeadmarlin.Withfailingmighttheoldmanstruckthesharkwithhisharpoon.TheMakorolledandsank,carryingtheharpoonwithitandleavingthemarlinmutilatedandbloody.Santiagoknewthescentwouldspread.Watching,hesawtwoshovelnosedsharksclosingin.Hestruckatonewithhisknifelashedtotheendofanoarandwatchedthescavengerslidingdownintodeepwater.Theotherhekilledwhileittoreatthefleshofthemarlin.Whenthethirdappeared,hethrustatitwiththeknife,onlytofeelthebladesnapasthefishrolled.Theothersharkscameatsunset.Atfirsthetriedtoclubthemwiththetillerfromtheskiff,buthishandswererawandbleedingandthereweretoomanyinthepack.Inthedarkness,ashesteeredtowardthefaintglowofHavanaagainstthesky,heheardthemhittingthecarcassagainandagain.Buttheoldmanthoughtonlyofhissteeringandhisgreattiredness.Hehadgoneouttoofarandthesharkshadbeatenhim.Heknewtheywouldleavehimnothingbutthestrippedskeletonofhisgreatcatch.

Alllightswereoutwhenhesailedintothelittleharborandbeach