HumanisticImplicationinTheOldManandTheSea

张璇

【Abstract】Through the analysis of the humanistic implication with part of the images of The Old Man and The Sea， there is a vital practical significance for future readers to deeply study this novel. The novel has to praise the purpose of praising the good quality of mankind with the integration of the writers deep thoughts and feelings. This reading report aims to express the implied humanistic spirit and realistic meaning by the study and description of the symbolic meaning embodied in different images as the old man， the children， the big marlin， the sea and the shark in the novel.

【Key words】The Old Man and The Sea； humanistic implication； Hemingway

Introduction

The Old Man and The Sea is one of the most important works of the famous American writer Hemingway Ernest， and it has caused the great social repercussions after it boarded the magazine of life in September 1952. The novel The Old Man and The Sea tells the story of the Cuban old fisherman Santiago， who did not catch the fish within 84 consecutive days， and finally caught a big marlin alone. The humanistic spirit and realistic connotations reflected in the novel will be discussed in detail in this article.

1. Never Give Up

The Old Man and The Sea contains rich and profound symbolic description， and each image is full of profound meaning. These images effectively show human spirit of perseverance and determination. The Old Man and The Sea is a fable of life. The short length and concise style by Hemingway of writing tell people a profound truth of life， the most beautiful side of the human nature is not to doom and yield to the fail， do not bow to the frustration. Each persons life is not all smooth， and in the face of difficulties， especially in the face of failure， people should do not give up easily. In addition， the image “old man” in the novel represents the eternal spirit of humanity：never give up. The same meaning is that man is tempered by frustration， man can be destroyed but not defeated.

2. Be Tenacious and Brave

The protagonist Santiago in the novel The Old Man and The Sea is an aged but resolute man with the representative of the human， and in his life， the sea gave birth to him， and the sea training his strength of character. He is a symbol of “the hero of life”. He dared to challenge to different hardships in life， and to display of the value of human life. In the raging sea， the protagonist Santiago was placed in the teeth of the storm. This is a thrilling contest between the human and the environment. In Hemingways point of view， people should have a kind of positive attitude towards the hardship and difficult. In the United States at that time， the spirit embodied in the novel has impact of a lot of American peoples life， even if they encounter difficulties and setbacks， but they still insist on moving forward， to realize their dreams. Even in today， the philosophy of life in the novel is of great positive significance.endprint

3. Care the Society

The most significant point in The Old Man and The Sea reflected in the thoughts of human， society and the future by Hemingway. This symbolic meaning has interpreted the profound connotation the novel contained through analysis of the symbolic meaning of the novel The Old Man and The Sea， and to express the desire of happiness and the relentless pursuit of the ideal through the dialogue between man and nature. The novel of The Old Man and The Sea is the result of Hemingways observation of the society and the thinking about life. Therefore， when we read the literary works， we should think about each image the author had created in his work. At the same time， we should also think about the inspiration of the masterpiece. The positive attitudes and images in the novel will benefit us all.

Conclusion

After reading this novel， it is obvious that Hemingway used profound symbolic connotations in the novel， and gave the old man， the big marlin， sharks， child and the sea rich meanings. In the masterpiece of The Old Man and The Sea， it has to praise the purpose of praising the good quality of mankind with the integration of the writers deep thoughts and feelings， with the help of the symbolic meaning of the novel， and by the analysis of the tragic consciousness， and by the fight between man and nature and expression of peoples desire for happiness and unremitting pursuit of the ideal， and the courage and perseverance against death and hardness. This is the central theme the writer hope to express in the novel.

References：

[1]Hemingway，Ernest.The Old Man and the Sea[M].Beijing：World Publishing Corporation，1989.

[2]Valent，i Patricia Dunlavy.Understanding the Old Man and the Sea[M].Westport：Greenwood Pub Group，2002.endprint