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Hemingway the man and the sea
Hemingway used symbolism throughout the Old Man and the Sea
Hemingway used symbolism throughout the Old Man and the Sea
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The Old Man and the Sea has been a time old classic by a both beloved and occasionally despised author Mr. Ernest Hemingway. In the Old Man and the Sea Symbolism and references that reflect Hemingway’s own life can be seen in many different lights, he had many ups and downs similar as Santiago’s struggles and as I have chosen to explore the suffering that can be seen in Santiago and in relation to Hemingway’s own life. Santiago went through many turmoil’s in his life and his story is one of wisdom in defeat from the lengthy time of which he could not catch anything to that of his loss of the marlin to the sharks after such a lengthy battle to catch it then attempt to bring it back to shore. Now I could go on and on like any other paper about all the symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea but no matter what I did while reading it, in almost every aspect it screamed out to me as an impersonation or reflection of Hemingway’s own life in a multitude of ways that no one can deny. The Old Man and the Sea was an allegory referring to the Hemingway’s own struggles to preserve his writing i...
Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952, the last of his fiction stories to be published before his death in 1961 (Lombardi). The novella is still celebrated to this day as a riveting tale of man versus nature under the most dire of circumstances. The story’s protagonist, Santiago, is a man with supreme determination and hope. His battle with the great marlin is an illustration of human strength, physically and mentally, at its finest. These qualities about him, along with the decisions he makes throughout the novel, give him similarities to Christ, while other elements of Hemingway’s prose can arguably serve as Christian symbolism as well.
In the book, The old man and the sea by ernest hemingway, the old man, named Santiago, had not caught any fish for 84 days, this was seen as a major failure by the people of his town and by many of the readers. But although santiago’s journey was seen as a failure, he still was successful because of his good attitude, his determination, and the fact that he loved what he did. Thes qualities made santiago succeed, in the midst of all of his failures.
magazine in 1933, and written by Ernest Hemingway. The essay details the escapades of a Cuban fisherman dragged out to sea by marlin. By the time he was found, sharks had destroyed the man’s great catch.1 This essay is the basis for the story of the main character, Santiago, in Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea.1 Published almost twenty years later, in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea is considered a classic American novel. The story is deceivingly simple, involving an unlucky elderly fisherman, Santiago, who hasn't caught a fish in months. However, many aspects of the story tell of a much deeper message which transcends the years. Santiago embodies universal truths about the character traits of men, including perseverance and commitment, faith and humility developed through adversity.
Ernest Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea shines as example of the bravery that is required to chance at conquering the ultimate struggle. Santiago embodies a man full of whole-hearted character whose love and resolve enable him to push beyond the limits of even a great man- a man one can only dream of becoming. Santiago’s unique personality offers a variety of insights on the way that life should be approached. Not many possess the ability to love an admirable enemy as much as a dear friend, but Santiago proves that he is no ordinary fisherman. Hemmingway beautifully captures Santiago’s personality with the virtues of faith love, and hope. Throughout the novel, however, as Santiago’s mission grows seemingly impossible, Santiago mainly stays true to only two of the virtues but also develops a trait that can now be considered virtuous, and that is the maintenance of faith and the capacity to love.
So, Santiago went out into the sea with some fishing supplies such as a harpoon, knife, and a rope. That day, he caught a fish or two that he used as bait. That same day, something hooked on his line that he never saw before. It was enormous in size! It was not a shark nor whale, and it jumped out of the water really quickly. What was it? It was the great marlin! Santiago stated, "I will lash the two oars together across the stern and that will slow him in the night, he said, he's good for the night and so am I"( Hemingway 73). Santiago strained to keep this massive marlin, but tried his best to fight and keep the beast on his line. Santiago wanted to keep this marlin alive, yet he knew what he was up against. After the long and painful days of trying to keep the marlin alive, Santiago said, "I killed him in self defense, the old man aloud and I killed him well"(Hemingway 106). Santiago did not truly want to kill the marlin, he wanted to bring him back to his village. Unfortunately, the sea and sharks got the best of the marlin and ate it. Santiago had to fight the sharks off, so he had something left of the marlin to show the people. These actions taken by Santiago was a true struggle between himself and
In the literary fiction book The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Santiago is very alike to the marlin. They are both strong, determined, and great fighters. Even though they share these similarities, they are different, as they have different motivations to win the battle they are fighting.
It is through Santiago’s responses to these obstacles that Hemingway utilizes allusion. After Santiago finally hooks a large fish, he faces a new battle, reeling in the fish. In this situation the fish serves as the old man’s enemy; yet, Santiago does not view the fish as so. Instead, he admires the fish and views it as “more noble and more able” than himself (Hemingway 63). The old man expresses a love and connection with his enemy, a concept Christ often preached to his disciples. Jesus instructed his disciples to “love your enemies” and to “bless those who curse you” (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Luke 6.27-28). Santiago’s perspective on his adversaries further develop his pure and loving persona. Readers, with his attitude in mind, are drawn to empathize his trials, which are chronicled through many numeric and symbolic
In conclusion, the inspiring and thought-provoking story of “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway teaches that failure is giving up and is a complete loss, but the old man’s experience was not failure, it was, in fact, a small setback. It is important to know that the difference between failure and success. Success is what the old man had received for hard work, repeated failure, and determination, failure is giving in surrendering and loosing hope, which the old man didn’t do. At the climax of the story, when the sharks ate the Marlin, it showed sometimes what seemed to be a failure can actually be a success, which was hidden. The Main character gained much respect form the catching of the Marlin, which made it a success and not a failure.]
The premise of the story is simple yet captivating, as anybody who has ever gone fishing knows, for there is a strange allure in capturing and besting creatures as wondrous and intimidating as those who reside in the mysterious depths of the ocean. It is a work so masterful and timeless that it won the Pulitzer Prize and helped its author win the Nobel Prize, “The Old Man and The Sea” did not reach such lofty heights by mere luck. In creating the epic struggle between a monstrous Marlin and an old Cuban fisherman, Ernest Hemingway crafted an intricate web replete with symbols and allusions to Cuban culture, a country that served as his home for some time and the place where the novel was written. In order to properly understand and appreciate the depth of this tale, one must comprehend these most prominent of symbols and how they relate to the culture of the characters in the story: Baseball and Joe DiMaggio, the lions, the skiff’s mast, the marlin, and the sharks.
Life is a dramatic subject that many writers choose as a topic. Life is not only an ocean of melancholy but also offers real joy. Earnest Hemingway successfully won a Nobel Prize on this theme by writing The Old Man and the Sea. The old man, Santiago, was the main character of the story. During his lonely journey out at sea, he learned that life offered him an undeniable joy, plus frustration. Honor, heroism, and struggle were obstacles Santiago encountered which provided him courage and faith.
Moderation is fully evident in Hemingway’s characters. Santiago, the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea, firmly balances two contrasting qualities - his humility and pride. Santiago reveals his humble nature when Manolin asserts that he is the best fisherman to which Santiago replies “No. I know others better.” (The Old Man and the Sea 23). Meanwhile Santiago’s attempt to capture the fish and prove that he is a capable man despite his old age signifies that he retains a certain level of pride for his masculinity. Humility is the antithesis of pride, yet, the old man has the ability to retain both through moderation. Emotions are not the only characteristics to be moderated; actions as well as speech must be balanced. In “Indian Camp”, the father explains a mature topic –the act of givin...
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
The old man and the sea is a novella about an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin fish. Throughout the novella, Santiago is portrayed in different perspectives. He is tough and refuses to give up at any time. He withholds the will to continue and the courage to overcome what is believed to be the impossible. His persistence and confidence, his absolute determination and his unique way of accepting the reality makes him a noble hero.
There is never a simple key to any writer worth much attention, but in the case of Hemingway there is something that looks so like a key… that it cannot escape any informed and thoughtful reader’s notice" (O’Conner 153). Ernest Hemingway was one such author. Very rarely did he summarize statements, therefore the only way to solve his puzzle was to take it apart and examine each components. One of the hidden elements that the reader must analyzie closely is the parallel between Santiago and Jesus Christ. In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway creates connections between Santiago and Jesus Christ that adds religious coloration to the story.
The Old Man and the Sea, was written by Ernest Hemingway. In the novella, the old man, Santigo and the young boy Manolin has a relationship that goes dar beyond friendship. They have a soul bonding relationship. The boy needs the old man as a teacher and the old man needs the boy was family. Hemingway creates a very powerful, poignant relationship between the old man and the young boy throughout his novella using dialogues.