Symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea
1.Introduction (1)
2.Brief introduction to symbolism (3)
2.1The definition of symbol and symbolism (3)
2.2Symbolism in the novella (5)
3.An analysis of symbolism in the novella (6)
3.1An analysis of Santiago’s character and his symbolic meaning (6)
3.2An analysis of Manolin’s character and his symbolic meaning (10)
3.3An analysis of Joe DiMaggio and his symbolic meaning (12)
3.4The sea and its symbolic meaning (13)
3.5The marlin and its symbolic meaning (14)
3.6The sharks and their symbolic meaning (16)
3.7The lions and their symbolic meaning (17)
4.Conclusion (18)
References (20)
1.Introduction
Hemingway is one of the famous modern American writers.He writes many novels and short stories.The Old Man and the Sea is generally regarded as the best.It was published in1952.With its vivid characterization,simple language and profound meaning,it stands out as one of Hemingway’s excellent books.It also earns its author the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in1952and directly leads Hemingway to be the Nobel Prize laureate“for his powerful style–forming mastery of the art of modern narration, as most recently evinced in The Old Man and the Sea.”
Regarded as a giant both in American literature and the world literature,Ernest Hemingway was born on July21,1899,in Oak Park,Illinois.His mother was a music teacher,a lover of high culture.His father was a physician,fond of hunting and fishing,who often took young Ernest with him on his trips.Influence
d by his parents,
he was interested in music,hunting,fishing,boxing and bullfighting.
His variety of interest especially the love of fishing extremely affected all his life and he drew much writing inspiration from his fishing experience.Taking adventures also plays a vital role in his life,and for this reason,he experienced the two world wars.As a noticeable representative of the“Lost Generation”,Hemingway published the book of this sort,The Sun Also Rises.The book chiefly deals with the living attitude of post-war generation,especially the life of those wounded soldiers and the kind of loneliness and disillusionment of modern people whose ideals were shattered at a time when“God is dead”.They thought life was nothing and meaningless.In this case,Hemingway became a spokesman for the“Lost Generation”.
In1952,Hemingway published The Old man and the Sea.Actually,the novella is a parable of man’s struggle against the nature.Hemingway writes this novella based on a true story of a Cuba fisherman--Santiago.He is an aged and solitary man who makes a living by fishing.After eighty-four days without catching a fish,he goes far out and hooks a great fish.For three days,the old man holds on while the fish pulls him further and further.Finally he kills the fish and ties it to his skiff.As he sails slowly to port,b
rutal sharks begin to take his prize away.He makes every effort to struggle against them with the harpoon,the oar,the knife and the short club.The sharks eat all but the skeleton of the fish.Half dead with exhaustion,he brings the skeleton home and makes his way to bed and dreams about the lions.
The novella is not just a story about an old man and the sea.Hemingway uses many symbols and there are many hidden meanings in it.Each element represents
different things.This paper aims to explore symbolism in this book and discuss those symbols and their symbolic meanings.
2.Brief introduction to symbolism
2.1The definition of symbol and symbolism
Symbolism is the use of symbols,often to communicate extrasensory meaning or significance.It is as old as literature itself.It abounds in the bible and in the Greek and Latin classics(Liang Yuling，1999:91).There is no symbolism without symbol, and so it is necessary to illustrate the term symbol before discussing symbolism.
The word“symbol”comes from the Greek verb symballein,“to put together”, and the noun symbolon,“sig
n”(M.H.Abrams,2004:311).A symbol is a sign that has further layers of meaning.In other words,a symbol means more than it literally says. The more profound the symbol,the greater the complexity of the layers of meaning is. While a writer intends to express certain meanings by means of symbols,the meaning he or she expresses will exceed what was consciously intended(Liu Ying,2006:8).
英语专业论文题目Dr.Frank Lentricchia and Thomas Mclanghlin defined this literary term as:“a symbol is representation of an idea,thing,concept,or quality.A symbol is an object, which stands for something else;it is a word,which while signifying something specific,also signifies something beyond itself.With a symbol we have to infer the meaning and associations”(Lentricchia&Mclanghlin,1995:5).
A symbol always represents something that remains to be demonstrated.It is in a
certain sense a visible sign of something invisible.Symbols are vitally connected to the idea which they present.Symbols present and reveal and bring us into contact with the reality which they embody.Symbols are used when a writer wants to express his understanding of something in his mind,which is not directly observable in the everyday world.The writer has to use a symbol because he can only convey his comprehension of something abstract by using objects and words from the familiar world.The writer starts with an object in the real world and makes it symbolic by loading it with
a meaning which is not explicitly stated(Liu Ying,2006:9).Symbols are essential for a full understanding of literature and symbols are the elements of symbolism.
Symbolism originated in France.Symbolist movement is a literary and artistic movement that originated with a group of French poets in the late19th century,spread to painting and the theatre,and influenced the European and American literatures of the20th century to various degrees(Liu Ying,2006:5).
With regard to symbolism,Dr.Frank Lentricchia and Thomas Mclanghlin conclude“Symbolism is the system use of symbols to represent or allude to something.In the most literal sense,all languages are symbolic.In a narrower sense symbolism is the use of iconic figures with particular conventional meanings”(Lentricchia&Mclanghlin,1990:75).
Symbolism tends to broaden the readers’perceptions,giving the meaning to the object beyond its concrete use or intended meaning.As Barnet points out,“When we read,we may feel that certain characters and certain things in the story stand for more
than themselves,or hint at larger meanings”( al.2002:195).It may be clear that the author has mentioned certain items or ideas in order to induce the readers to think more deeply about something.
On the whole,symbolism is an important element in literature.Symbolism means the systematic use of symbols or pictorial conventions to express an allegorical meaning(M.H.Abrams,2004).Symbolism is a series of links between man’s apprehension of the world,and the way he can convey his apprehension.Many writers, in fact most fiction authors,use symbolism as a rhetorical device central to the meaning of their works.Their literary works are often admired for their artful use of symbolism.This thesis attempts to research the symbolism used in the Old Man and the Sea and try to find some symbolic meanings.
2.2Symbolism in the novella
Since the publication of The Old Man and the Sea,there has been much debate surrounding symbolism of the story.At first,even Hemingway himself denied there is symbolism in the novella.He held a quite different attitude towards the experts and critics.He once pointed out that a tale truly could mean many things.But at the same time he reaffirmed“There isn’t any symbolism.The sea is the sea.The old man is an old man.The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish.The sharks are all sharks no better and no worse.All the symbolism that people say is shit.What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know”(Dong Hengzhuan,1985:145).
However,in George Pulinpton’s interview of Hemingway,Hemingway said,“I think there is symbolism”(Dong Hengzhuan,1985:40).The more than eighty-year-old Bernard Beiruisun said,“The Old Man and the Sea is a piece of rural music…a true