《老人与海》中地美国精神.docx

《老人与海》中地美国精神.docx

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《老人与海》中地美国精神

AmericanSpiritinHemingway’swork

“TheOldManandtheSea”

ⅠIntroductionandanalysisofHemingway

1.1AnEvent

ThetowninthenortherntipofFloridaintheUniteStatesofAmericaistherightplacewhereHemingwaylivedandwrotehiswork“ForwhomtheBellTolls”.The“HemingwayFestival”isheldhereinJulyeveryyear.“TheImitablecompetitionofHemingway”wasthemostimportantpartinthefestival.ThecompetitorsfromallovertheUSAwereexcited.TheywearbeardofHemingway’sstyleandsmokedthebigMexicoCigar.Theyalllikethestubbornman.InthisfestivaltheywouldjudgewhoisthebestimitatorofHemingway.ThisisjustawaytomemorializeHemingway.WeknowthatHemingwayisaveryfamousAmericanwriter,andhewrotemanyfamousworks.WhydidthegreatestAmericanwriterHemingwayhavesogreateffectinAmericansociety?

1.2IntroductionofHemingwayandbackgroundofhisworkcomposition

HemingwaywasborninIllinoisStatenearChicago.Hisfatherwasadoctor.HetookHemingwaytoworksometimes.HeoftenmadelittleHemingwaytakeinterestedinfishingandhunting.Hismotherwasamusiclover.Shelovedsinginganddrawingwhenshewasveryyoung.

In1917,onthegraduationeve,AmericajoinedWorldWarⅠ.Hedidn’tjointhewarbecauseofhiseyeillness.InOctober,hebecamethepracticalcorrespondent.

InMay1918,Hemingwayjoinedtheambulancecorpandbecamethedriverofred-crosscavalcade.HewaswoundedinfrontlineofItalia,andwenttoFranceasacorrespondentofTorontoStardailylateron.

From1936to1939,HemingwayjoinedtheAntifanciestwar.DuringtheWorldWarⅡ,hewasthewarcorrespondent

In1922,hebeganwriting,whichcontainsallegory,poetry,andshortennovels.

In1924,Hiswork“Inourtimes”waspublishedinParis.In1927,”Thesunalsorises”printed.ItmadeHemingwaybecameanewstarinliteraryarea.

In1952,HewonthePulitzerPrizebyhisfamouswork“Theoldmanandthesea”.In1954,hewontheNobelPrize.

Inhislatertime,hesufferedthehighbloodpressure,diabetes.OnJuly2nd1961,hecommittedsuicide.WhatHemingwayhaddoneandwrittenmadehimhaveaveryimportantandhighpositionintheinternationalliteraryarea.Heleftmanythingsandmanythoughtsforus.Hisspiritsandthethoughtstooktomanyeffectstoustoo;especiallyhismostfamousworkTheOldManandtheSea.

ⅡHemingway’sspiritin“TheOldManandtheSea”

2.1thestorysummary

Thestoryoccursduringthreedaysandthreenightsonthesea.Anditwritesaboutanoldfishingman,Santiago’sstory.

THEDAYBEFORE

Santiago,the“old-man,”hasgoneeighty-fourdayswithoutcatchingafish.He’sawidowerandthere’snomentionofanychildrenofhisown.Hehasonly“theboy,“Manolin,ascompanionandgenuinefriend.ManolinhadbeenSantiago’sapprentice,buttheboy’sparentshavemadehimworkonanotherfishingboatbecauseSantiagohas“badluck.”Buthe’sstillloyaltoSantiagoandhelpstheoldmanprepareforanattempttocatch“thebigone.”

THEFIRSTDAY

SantiagorowshisskiffoutfromtheHavanaharborfarbeyondnormalfishingwaters,hopingtoendhisstringofbadluckwithareallyhugecatch.Hesetshislinesandreadsthesignsofthesea,findingthemfavorable.

Hisdeepestlineshowssignsofafishnibblingatthebait,andhecantellit’saverylargefish.Afterafinalstrike,hesetsthehook-andthefishbeginstotowtheboatwithease!

Santiagorealizesthisisnotanordinaryfish.

THEFIRSTNIGHT

ThefishcontinuestopullSantiago’sskiffouttosealikeachildpullingatoywagon.Still,thefishisaprisonerandSantiagobeginstofeelpityforthisgreatcatch.Butthisdoesnotsoftenhisresolveto“staywithyouuntilIamdead.’

THESECONDDAY

Santiagoincreasestensiononthelinetothebreakingpoint,attemptingtomakethefishjump.Thelinehasbeenstretchedoverhisbackforhoursnow.Hebeginstofeelintensepain.Atanunexpectedlurchfromthegreatfish,thelinecutshisrighthand.Andtomakemattersevenworse,hislefthandhasbecomecrampedlike“thegrippedclawsofaneagle.”

Sonowhepilotshissmallcrafthome,bringingonlyaskeleton.Hearrivesinthemiddleofthenight,beacheshisskiff,carriesthemasttohisshack,andfallsintoanexhaustedsleep.

THEDAYAFTER

Manolinfindshimsleeping.TherehasbeenabigstiramongthevillagefishermenovertheincrediblesizeoftheskeletonstilllashedtoSantiago’sskiff.Manolintendstothespent,pain-riddenoldmanandvowstofishwithhimagain.

TouristslookwithdetachedamusementattheskeletalremainsofSantiago’sthree-daybattle.TheydonotunderstandthenatureorsignificanceofSantiago’sexperiences.IsSantiagoatriumphantfigureoratragicfigure,orastrangecombinationofboth?

You’llhavetodecidethatforyourself.

2.2Theliteraryspiritin“TheOldManandtheSea”

Hemingway’sTheOldManandtheSeaisaverysimplestoryofanoldCubanfishermanwhoundergoesthemostdifficultstruggleofhislife.Althoughbeingarelativelyshortwork,thenovelisfillednotonlywithattractiveactionbutwiththedeeperspiritofoneman’sperseverancethroughthehardestoftimes.Inthetitlecharacter,Santiago,HemingwaydescribesoneofthemostdistinguishedexamplesinAmericanLiteratureofanindividuallookingdeeptosummonthecouragenecessarytogetthroughthetriumphsandtragediesthatlife—representedbythesea—presents.

Aloneonthesea,Santiagocontinuouslystrugglestofindhopeinseveralseeminglyhopelesssituations.TheoldmanexemplifiesHemingway’sidealofexhibiting“graceunderpressure,”asherefusestosubmittotheoverwhelmingobstaclespresentedbythesea.Santiago’sattitudeseemstobethatalthoughheisfacedwithtragedy—aseveryoneissoonerorlaterinlife—hewillnotstopstruggling.Relyingonmemoriesofhisyouth,newsoftheGreatDiMaggio’srecoveryfrominjury,andthoughtsoftheboy,Santiagofindsthestrengthtophysicallyandemotionallycarriesthroughoutthestory.

AfterhookingthegreatmarlinSantiagorealizesheisunabletoquicklykillthefish,anditproceedstotowhimfartherouttosea.Yetthroughoutthetestofendurancebetweenmanandfishtheoldmanbeginstorecognizeabondbetweenheandmarlin,repeatedlyreferringtoitashisbrother;hemakes,“Nowwearejoinedtogetherandhavebeensincenoon.Andnoonetohelpeitheroneofus”

TheoldmanandthefisharebothmereinhabitantsamongthediversetropicalliferesidingintheGulfStream,bondedbythefactthattheyareatthemercyofthesea.

Thefish,therefore,transformsfrommerelybeingSantiago’spreytoservingasametaphorreflectingtheoldman’semotionalandphysicalstate.WhenthesharksmutilatethedeadmarlinhangingoffthesideoftheskiffasSantiagostrugglestosailhome,theoldmanfightsthemoffasiftheywereattackinghim.Onlywhenthemarlin’scarcasshasbeenentirelyeatenawaydoesSantiagogiveup,Knowinghe“wasbeatennowfinallyandwithoutremedy”

Althoughtheoldmanseeminglyfailsoncethesharksstealhisprizefish,theycannottakeawaythefactthatSantiago—theprimarytargetforthejestandpityofotherfisherman—hasdonetheunthinkablebystayingwithandcatchingafish“biggerthenhehadeverheardof”

.Accordingtothe”Hemingwaycode,”basedonprinciplesofcourageandendurance,theoldmanhasactuallytriumphedinspiteofhisloss.Inspiteofnotsuccessfullybringingthefishback,Santiagofightswithdignity—firsttolandthemarlin,thentoprotecthisfishfromthesharks—andindoingsoassertshishumanity.Santiagoenduresandsuccessfullysurviveshissupremeordeal,fightingthetimelessbattleofmanvs.fate,withhonorbyremainingresilientinthefaceoftriumphandtragedy.

Thewholeworkshowsusthattheoldman’sstoryisnotonlysymbolizedtherelationshipbetweenthehumanbeingsandthenature,butalsosymbolizedthehumanbeings’stalwartspirit.Intherealityhefailedbutinspirithewasthevictor.Hisspiritshowshumanbeings’nobilityandsanctity.Whenhefacedthedifficulties,heoftenencouragedhimselfthat“Amancanbedestroyed,butneverdefeat.”Throughoutallhumans’lives,whohaveneverfailed?

Differentfailurehasdifferentreasons,butwhateverfailureallcouldmakeyouloseyourheart.Thekeypointis“Didyoudreamthelion?

“Areyoureadytogoouttotheseaagain?

“Ifyougotoseaagain,youwouldsuccess.Asregardswouldyoucapturethewholemarlinisnotsoimportant.,becauseaperson’slifevalueisactintheprocessofcapturethemarlin.Theoldmanwhoisaspiresandstruggleforhisdreamisatruehero.

2.3SymbolismsintheworkexpressHemingway’sspirit

InHemingway’sTheOldManandtheSea,Hemingwayusessymbolismtoexpressthespirits.Theuseofsymbolisminhisbooksgivesthemdeepermeaningsortoflikealesson.Hemingwayplacessymbols,leavingthereadertolookdeeperintotheobviousplotoftheplay.

ThesymbolofcourageanddeterminationisusedinOldManandtheSea.Hemingwayportraysthemeninthisbookwithverydominantandstrongcharacteristics.IntheOldManandtheSea,theoldman,Santiago,isaveryoldfishermanwhodoesn’thavegoodluckwhenitcomestofishing.Oneday,whenheisoutatsea,hegotagreatmarlinandrealizesheisunabletoquicklykillthefish,anditproceedstotowhimfartherouttosea.“Nowwearejoinedtogetherandhavebeensincenoon.Andnoonetohelpeitheroneofus”

.TheoldmanandthefisharebothmereinhabitantsofGulfStream,bondedbythefactthattheyareatthemercyofthesea.Santiagothensays,”Youarekillingme,fish,theoldmanthought.Butyouhavearightto.NeverhaveIseenagre