ipl-logo

Ernest Hemingway Old Man And The Sea Analysis

858 Words4 Pages

Ernest Hemingway wrote Old Man and the Sea to symbolize his feeling about writing and how other people interpret his work. The book can be interpreted in many ways but these symbolisms seem to fit the best. Youthful Hemingway liked to go with his father on hunting and fishing. This adoration for open air is seen in a significant number of Hemingway 's stories. Hemingway actually went to safari in Africa which could also be the motive of symbols mentioned in the book. Hemingway 's life could be connected to the major characters in the book Old Man and the Sea and from his biography he mostly writes about the experiences that he had in his lifetime. Old Man and the Sea can be used as a key to unlock Hemingway 's feelings and get to know why he committed a suicide. There are many symbols in the book but one of the most important is Santiago the old man. The only reason Santiago had desire for his life was because of fishing. He loved the process and the reward he got at the end. The evidence doesn 't really support it but Santiago could have been a great fisher in his youth because of the skills he possesses in his old years. The old man has good skills but is not lucky at all. Santiago lived to fish, he didn 't fish to live. His main purpose in his life was fishing because it brought happiness and fulfillment in his life. Ernest Hemingway loved writing novels as well, all his life was based on writing books. …show more content…

There are many ways to interpret the story but this seems the most appropriate. The sea in which Santiago is fishing in could represent Hemingway 's memories because the books that he writes are truly based only on his experiences. The dots connect and Hemingway 's biography explains these symbolisms. He committed suicide because of alcoholism and because of the fact that he could not write anymore. The only reason to his life was writing and "bleeding at the

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Allusions In The Great Gatsby

    934 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is not unusual for authors to make reference to events, literature, and people of the past. Hemingway constantly alludes to Christianity throughout the novel especially when referencing Santiago, the old fisherman, whose name in itself alludes to a biblical figure. For example, when Santiago’s hands are badly injured, the author is clearly alluding

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Symbols In Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

    771 Words  | 4 Pages

    Paulo Coelho, the author of The Alchemist tells the story of Santiago a Shepard whose life changes once he finds out about a treasure from his frequent dreams and meets a strange man who helps him to start his personal legend. On Santiago’s journey he starts to see the hidden meanings behind daily life creating the thesis that through seeing and understanding symbols behind the world people can learn about their own personal legend and live life to the fullest. Santiago’s life starts out all about his sheep, he chose to be a shepherd, so he could travel and meet new people. Santiago’s job is to take care of the sheep, but the sheep have more meaning in the story. The sheep represent how he is comfortable in his life and how he is questioning his frequent dream, to sacrifice his comfortable life to find this treasure or to continue without taking the risk.

    Read More

  • Hills Like White Elephants Rhetorical Analysis

    739 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, there is a relationship unfolding, a complex relationship difficult to understand. The relationship is revealed by a conversation between a man and a woman, a topic of conversation that people rarely discussed in the period that the story was set. After researching interpretations, it is consistently said “She is pregnant, and he wants her to have an abortion” (Weeks 76), to which I agree that this conversation is about abortion. With the man seemingly pushing the topic and the girl hesitant and questionable, it is unsure as to the result of their conversation. However, it is my belief that she chose to follow her heart and not get the abortion.

    Read More

  • How Does Santiago Show Pride

    1408 Words  | 6 Pages

    Though the “Old Man and the Sea”, portrays Santiago’s struggle, his experience from his journey betters him for the future. Ernest Hemingway’s novel is about an old man, who embarks on a journey to catch a fish. While on his journey, he struggles to keep himself together. He has to stay awake for long hours, on barely any food. Lacking energy, but not determination, Santiago pulls through and catches the great marlin.

    Read More

  • Figurative Language In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

    712 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel The Old Man and The Sea, written by Ernest Hemingway a credible author, the use of figurative language was not sparse. Figurative language enhances the story line and makes the book interesting and detailed. The most notable uses of figurative language were similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, and hyperboles. Similes are described as a comparison using like or as. We found many examples throughout the text.

    Read More

  • And Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Ocean'

    737 Words  | 3 Pages

    Have you ever swam in the ocean? Ever fought against the waves? Have you ever felt its intensity?? Oceans can be quite treacherous and rigid, but once you sink down beneath the water, all is calm and peaceful. In “The Ocean” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he paints an image of this by illustrating the waters and the men at sea.

    Read More

  • Santiago's Personal Legend In The Alchemist

    540 Words  | 3 Pages

    A personal legend is not just the result found at the end of Santiago's life. It’s more than simply reaching final destination. Santiago personal legend is achieved when he completes what he is doing. “It’s true that everything has it’s personal legend ,but one day that personal legend will be realized ,so each thing has to transform itself into something better ,and to acquire a new personal legend, until someday, the soul of the world becomes one only thing.”

    Read More

  • A Clean Well Lighted Place Analysis

    744 Words  | 3 Pages

    They begin discussing the old man’s attempt at suicide. The story which seems to start off about the old man really becomes about the fear the old waiter has of becoming like the old man. The importance of the characters, setting, and symbolism of the story all help Hemingway to express the hopelessness and loneliness of the old man and the older waiter. The story’s characters consist of the young waiter who is confident but seems to be a bit naïve about what life is really about.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Disillusionment In Ernest Hemingway

    987 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ernest Hemingway’s characters are frequently tested in their faith, beliefs, and ideas. To Hemingway’s characters, things that appear to be grounded in reality and unmovable facts frequently are not, revealing themselves to be hollow, personal mythologies. Hemingway shakes his characters out of their comfortable ignorance through traumatic events that usually cause a certain sense of disillusionment with characters mythologies, moving them to change their way of life. His characters usually, after becoming disillusioned, respond with depression, suicide, and nihilism. However, this is not always the case.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Old Man And The Sea

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    (Hemingway, 1952, p.29). Santiago was brave enough to accept the unavoidable thing like death or his mind was ready to face any struggle but he was a man who refused to accept defeat. He prove himself as a determined man through killing his opponent marlin. His destruction over his enemy and shark shows a bravery and heroic qualities in him. He is even willing to sacrifice his own life to bring the marline at shore which shows that his bravery is stronger than any other thing.

    Read More

  • Migration In The Alchemist

    462 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Ban Ki Moon once stated; “Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for a better future.” All migration accomplished by mankind has followed a consistent pattern of looking for a better living. In Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, we can see this similarity. Migration is greatly influenced by geography. Human Geography is the study of the interaction between human beings and their surrounding environment.

    Read More

  • Adversity In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea

    1067 Words  | 5 Pages

    The novel, The Old Man and the Sea, is a story about an old man, Santiago, who experienced great adversity but did not give up. The author, Ernest Hemingway, describes how an old man uses his experience, his endurance and his hopefulness to catch a huge marlin, the biggest fish he has ever caught in his life. The old man experienced social-emotional, physical, and mental adversity. However, despite the overwhelming challenges, he did not allow them to hold him back but instead continued to pursue his goal of catching a fish with determination. Santiago’s character, his actions and the event in the novel reveals an underlying theme that even when one is facing incredible struggles, one should persevere.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Perseverance In The Old Man And The Sea

    1249 Words  | 5 Pages

    One of the themes in the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, is that one should persevere even in the most challenging situations. The old man’s, Santiago’s, lone struggle with the fishes and the forces of nature over a period of almost three months demonstrated an almost mythical persistence. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate whether this theme has any value compared to God’s word. The Bible often discusses the theme of perseverance in the midst of adversity. Even though one views Santiago’s endurance and tenacity with admiration, the root causes of that perseverance is different from the reasons for a Christian’s perseverance in the world.

    Read More

  • The Sun Also Rises Ernest Hemingway Analysis

    1138 Words  | 5 Pages

    The novel, The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, describes the life of some people from the Lost Generation in post-World War I Europe, but mostly in Paris, France and Pamplona, Spain. This novel rotates around Jacob, or Jake, Barnes’, the narrator’s, life; which mostly includes drinking with his friends, Robert Cohn, a Jewish man who is often verbally abused by his “friends”, Ashley Brett, an attractive woman who Jake is in love with, Bill Gorton, a good friend of Jake’s, and a couple others. Their life in dull Paris seems to revolve around spending money and drinking, but when they go to colorful Pamplona, Spain, they have an amazing time during the fun-filled fiesta. Ernest Hemingway uses the “iceberg theory” when he presents Jake Barnes to the reader; he does not directly tell you a lot about Jake, but through Jake’s thoughts and emotions, one can tell that he was injured in the war, he is not a very religious person, he would rather do what he loves, instead of what he must, and he does not like to be honest with himself, despite the fact that he is one of the more honest characters in the novel. Ernest Hemingway does not directly let the reader know that Jake is injured in a special place; he allows the reader to interpret that from Jake’s thoughts and memories.

    Read More

  • The Old Man And The Sea Critical Analysis

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    The battle that The Old Man fights with the marlin, as well as the daunting task of defending the marlin from the countless sharks that follow the skiff, are two points in the novel where Hemingway really conveys the sense of struggling and suffering. This is how Hemingway tries to convey an underlying theme of the constant struggle between man and nature, by depicting the struggle between The Old Man and the Marlin, against all odds. The Old Man considers the fact that capturing the Marlin is such a great task for him since the Marlin is trying just as hard to evade and escape from The Old Man’s reach. Throughout this struggle, The Old Man, who eventually becomes very fatigued, keeps telling himself to push through the pain and bear it like a real man would. He pushes past the faintness and dizziness he experiences, he pushes himself to see beyond the black spots in his weary vision and he pushes past the pain in his hands to catch the Marlin which puts up a great fight against this frail old man.

    Read More

More about Ernest Hemingway Old Man And The Sea Analysis

Open Document