《老人与海》硬汉形象分析

An Analysis on Code Hero In the Old Man and the Sea A Thesis Presented to theFaculty of Binhai School of Foreign Affairs Tianjin Foreign Studies UniversityIn Partial Fulfillmentof the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Artsby Yu AixinMay，2013IContents Abstract (in Chinese) .IAbstract (in English) .III. Introduction 1.1 The introduction to Hemingway.1 1.2 The introduction to The Old Man and the Sea.3 II. Literature review.III. Reflection of Santiagos Characteristics 3.1 Facing the failure optimistically.5 3.2 Strong will in the long fighting.6 3.3 The confidence and courage to overcome difficulties.7 3.4 To defend the dignity of human being.8 IV. Analysis of Santiago is a Code Hero 4.1 The formation of Code Hero.10 4.2 Typical characters of Code Hero.12 4.3 Typical behaviors of Code Hero.12V. The significance of Code Hero to modern society.13Conclusion .14References.16 摘 要欧内斯特海明威是美国著名的小说家之一。老人与海是他众多作品中影响最深远的小说，1954年为他赢得了诺贝尔文学奖。小说描写了老渔夫桑迪亚哥孤身一人出海捕鱼的故事。经过两天两夜的生死搏斗，终于捕到了一条大马林鱼。然而大马林鱼却遭到了鲨鱼的袭击，最后只剩下一付巨大的鱼骨架。桑迪亚哥在巨大困难面前，所表现出得勇气和力量，以及履行使命时所体现的超人才智，无不说明他是一位英雄。论文浅析了桑迪亚哥的特殊性格和行为，倡导顽强，坚韧，永不服输的精神。通过对桑迪亚哥的分析，塑造了硬汉形象，深刻体会硬汉精神的现代意义。 关键词：欧内斯特海明威；老人与海；桑迪亚哥；硬汉 AbstractErnest Hemingway is one of the most famous novelists in America. The Old Man and the Sea is the most far-reaching novel in his works, and won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The novel describes an old fisherman, Santiago, sets out to sea alone. After two days and nights struggle, he catches a huge marlin finally. But the captured marlin is later destroyed by sharks, and leaves nothing but the bones of the fish. Santiagos courage and strength in the face of tremendous obstacles, as well as wisdom with which he executes his task, make him a hero. The paper will analyze the typical characters and behaviors of Santiago, advocate the spirit of firmness, persistency, and never giving up. Through the careful study on Santiagos characters, reflection on the image of Code Hero will be made, moreover, the significance of Code Hero to modern society is also revealed. Key words: Ernest Hemingway; The Old Man and the Sea; Santiago; Code Hero I. Introduction1.1 The introduction to HemingwayErnest Hemingway (1899-1961) was born in Oak Park, Illinois, a conservative upper-middle class suburb of Chicago. He was one of the most famous novelists in America. His works have an important influence on development of other writings. As a boy he liked football, fishing, and hunting. It is necessary part in his life as important as his writing. He was the son of a doctor and a music teacher. He portrayed his middle-class parents rather harshly for their values and their morality. He began his writing career as a reporter for the Kansas City Star. At the age of eighteen, he severed as a Red Cross ambulance driver during the First World War, and was sent to Italy, where he was badly injured by shrapnel and experienced at least twelve operations. He recovered in hospital of Milan, where he fell in love with a nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Later, Hemingway created his individual experience in Italy into the great novel, A Farewell to Arms. So many critics generally agree that A Farewell to Arms is Hemingways most accomplished novel. Hemingway returned home in 1919, his parents didnt understand the psychological pain he had suffered during the war, and persuaded him to find a job. He had difficulties in coping with his parents and his friends. The short novel Soldiers Home reflects this conflict. In 1921, Hemingway married his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Then he moved to Paris and was involved with literature and artistic circle. He made valuable connection with a group of American and English expatriate writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein. As the journalist and a famous author, he had the high reputation. With the publication of The Sun Also Rises (1962), which describes the disillusionment for a generation of youth whose early adulthood was consumed by the First World War, he was known as the representative of “the Lost Generation.” Hemingways marriage began to fall apart, and divorced in 1927. He quickly married the second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer. Hemingways father, Clarence Hemingway, committed suicide in 1928 after developing serious health and financial problems, and Hemingway engaged in an affair with a woman Martha Gel horn in 1940. Hemingway began to cover the Spanish Civil War for North American Newspaper Alliance in 1937. His novel For whom Bell Tolls, based on his experience in Spain, was published in 1940. The novel For whom Bell Tolls is successful, but he did not publish another novel for ten year. Meanwhile, he and Gel horn divorced, and then married Mary Welsh after the Second World War. His writing began to fizzle with his physical health declined. Hemingway did enough energy to write The Old Man and the Sea, which is one of the most famous works of him. A famous writer ever praised The Old Man and the Sea as “the most excellent simple article in this generation.” His novel The Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952, and won Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Hemingway would like to focus on the image of Code Hero who fights with tragic surrounding life in his novels. The Old Man and the Sea is the last novel in his lifetime. The description of “Code Hero” always appears in his works. Hemingway had four marriages in his whole life. He experienced miserable and emotional pain so that his works lacked the sense of reality about women. Later, he didnt have strength and courage in fighting with the existence. His heavy drinking increased his health problems. He was more and more depressed and lost confidence to meaningless world. He committed suicide in 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho.1.2 The introduction to The Old Man and the Sea The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an old fisherman who undertakes a fierce struggle with a huge marlin the greatest catch in life. In a period of time, Santiago has set out to sea alone and returned without a fish for eighty-four days. At the beginning, a boy called Manolin sets out together with Santiago. Later his parents force the boy to leave Santiago in order to fish in a more prosperous boat. On eighty-fifth days of his unlucky stream, the greatest marlin which Santiago has never seen takes the bait in the water. Because of the marlins great size, Santiago is unable to pull the fish in, and the two are engaged in a struggle. Santiago fights the huge marlin with his rich fishing experience and skills and endures pain from the fishing line. After two days and two nights struggle, ultimately the big fish is attached to the boat. As Santiago sails on the water, the marlins blood leaves a trial in the water and attracts sharks. In order to prevent sharks attack, Santiago does his best. Although Santiago kills several sharks by the time night falls, his struggle against the scavengers is useless. They devour the marlins precious meat, leaving only skeleton, head, and tail. Santiago arrives home before daybreak and sleeps very deeply. He dreams his usual dream of lions at play on the beaches of Africa. The Old Man and the Sea ends on a rather optimistic note, and describes the depth of Santiagos tragic fate. Santiago, a representative of Code Hero, suffers terribly throughout The Old Man and the Sea. The author portrays Code Heros grace under pressure through the struggle with the huge marlin and sharks. It can be read on more than one meaning. Hemingway describes this technique as the “iceberg principle”, the simplest writing can hint the greatest human truths. He achieves his effort by relying on symbolisms to many readers. These symbolisms reveal Hemingways moral ideal that glory depends on one should have the pride to see a struggle through to the end, regardless of the outcome. Hemingway believes death and destruction are unavoidable in the natural order. Because Santiago struggles against huge marlin and sharks, the creatures of the sea; some readers consider the tale as mans battle against the natural world, more actually, a story of mans place in nature. No matter man or marlin is subject to the same rule, they must kill or be killed. The novel suggests it is impossible to escape the natural struggle. It proves Santiagos the image of Code Hero through the effort to struggle the inevitable law. Santiagos character motives him to change the destructive forces of nature, and enables him to defend his dignified destiny. The most attracting way is that Hemingway creates these images to link Santiago to Christ, who exemplifies transcendence by turning loss into gain, defeat into triumph, and even death into life. Santiago chooses endurance, and his determination is nearly Christ-like in proportion. Hemingways creation not only originates from real life, but is superior to his life. The spirit of Code Hero actually reflects the authors own life attitude. As one of the greatest works of Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea attracts great attentions in study from different perspectives. The usage of symbolism and the iceberg principle help the readers have a good understanding from different aspects. So readers should try to understand the truths under the water in The Old Man and the Sea.II. Literary reviewAs one of the greatest works of Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea attracts great critical attentions in study from different perspectives. Such as the image of Code Hero , the Iceberg Principle, the usage of symbolism and so on. These researches help the readers have a good understanding of Hemingway and the old man and the sea. Baker believes that Hemingway learns to get the most from the least, how to prune language, how to multiply intensities, and how to tell nothing but the truth in a way that allowed for telling more than the truth(Baker, 1969).Santiago is the last tragic hero that Hemingway portrays. Being poor and unlucky, his fate is sad, but he is not a man being easily defeated. Hemingways unyielding character is attached to the old man , which is the symbol of Hemingways unyielding character, which is regarded as an embodiment of Hemingways iceberg principle(Berman, Ronald, 2003). Many other scholars such as Linda Wagner-Martin, Scott Donaldson, Wendy Martin, John W. Aldridge also give their thoughts and opinions on Hemingways works. Chinese criticism also pay much attention to the Old Man and the Sea. Hu Tiesheng once mentions that The Old Man and the Sea has made the Code Hero to its climax. The clear sign of Code Hero is: “The world wants to strike down every one in the world, but most of them are staunch; and the world eagerly wants to kill the brave, the kindhearted and the merciful. The “Code Hero” is one who stands up to the hardship”. (Hu Tiesheng, 1994: 84 )The Interpretation of Dreams in The Old Man and the Sea by Gao Hongqin studies the novel from a new perspective by analyzing the dreams in the story. It begins from Freuds dream theory that dreams are the satisfaction of suppressed and inhibited desires in the form of camouflage. And then this paper interprets the Africa and lions. (Gao Hongqin , 2009 )Yuan Xianquans A General Talk on Hemingways Writing Style of Iceberg has a comprehensive analysis of the Iceberg Principle. It begins from the formation of Hemingways particular writing style, namely the authors various experiences and his carefulness in writing. Then it has a vivid description of the Iceberg theory. (Yuan Xianquan, 1995) Another scholar Wu Ran thinks that the tragedy of the Old Man and the Sea doesnt depend on the old mans sacrifice to fishing, but for that individual strength is doomed to fail. (Wu Ran ,1989: 61) As the climax of Hemingways literary creation and his best work in his lifetime, The Old Man and the Sea enjoys high reputation in the world literary. Certainly the work itself has great profound meaning in many aspects. This paper will make further study on the Old Man and the Sea through the analysis of Code Hero.III. Reflection of Santiagos Characteristics3.1 Facing the failure optimisticallyThe old mans magnificence and honor with which he executes his task, makes his struggle reach transcendent level. Santiago copes with difficulties that life throws at him in an optimistic way. His spirit of optimism supports him to fight with marlin, sharks, and himself. Santiago is not depressed with his poor surroundings, and is undefeated by the loneliness. Under the pressure of bad luck, he says that every day is a new day. Although he fails at last, he reflects the strong voice from the heart that he is not defeated. His spirit of optimism expresses the theme of the novel.Having been made fun by many fishermen and catching with nothing for eighty-four days, Santiago still talks about the newspapers with the small boy, and discusses the latest developments in American baseball. In the three days struggle at sea, Santiago tries to reassure himself of his own strength, his thought returns to a baseball player DiMaggio who represents a kind of triumphant survival. After suffering a bone spur in the heel, DiMaggio returns to baseball again, and becomes the great player in eyes of many people. He considers him as a model of strength and commitment. Besides, in order to improve his confidence and strength, the old man recalls the great all-night arms wrestling match he won as a young man and tries to find the triumph and a renewed life from the destruction. Moreover, Santiago makes stars and huge marlin as his friends. He considers he is so lucky that his life doesnt involve anything so great as the stars or the moon. Santiago dreams his pleasant dream of the lions at play on the beaches of Africa three times. The first time is the night before his three-day fishing experience, the second time is he sleeps on the boat for a few hours in the middle of his struggle with the huge marlin, and the third time is at the end of this story. The lion is associated with strength, hope, triumph, even the pursuit of Santiagos ideal life. From the above mentioned, we may safely reach a conclusion that Santiago can face the failure optimistically.3.2 Strong will in the fightingIn his life, fighting with marlin for three days may be the greatest challenge. Throughout the novel, no matter how difficult the circumstances become, Santiago exhibits the determination of strong will to catch this huge marlin and brings it to shore. Even his left hand crams and his right hand is cut by the line, he still persists fighting. At that time, the old man can extricate himself from the situation only if he cuts the lines and sets the big fish free. The old man doesnt do that because it means failure to him.He wants to know how many fishes the marlin kills and promises to fight with sharks until he dies. He believes nothing can defeat his will, and believes strongly he will catch a big fish finally. In order to catch the marlin and battle sharks, Santiago is willing to die. When he is thirsty, he drinks some water; when he is sleepy, he lies forward cramming himself against the line with all of his body, putting all his weight onto his right hand. He believes that he can achieve his target with wisdom, confidence, and strong will. Santiago beats the evils of the worldhunger, poverty, the laugh of his fellow men by strong will. Although Santiagos battle is based on physical struggle, the strong will determines the success or failure. Looking at the damaged hand, he says that, “Ill stay with you until I am dead.” (Ernest Hemingway, 2005: 28) Santiagos wounds remind him that it is real to experience these, and not a dream. He eats another flying fish in hopes of building up his strength. He feels faint and dizzy and sees black spots before his eyes. Then he says to himself, “A man can be destroyed but not be defeated.” (Ernest Hemingway, 2005: 57) He makes himself cheerful, thinking that it is a big silly, if he stops fighting and hoping. Santiago repeatedly reminds himself that physical pain does not a big thing to a man, and he urges himself to keep his head clear and to know how to suffer like a man.Santiago is filled with hope which is the important part of long fighting. The novel seems to suggest that the strong will be found when you face the pain and difficulties. Without strong will, Santiago has reason neither to fight the sharks nor to return home. Although Santiago loses the battle in life, he can achieve a moral significance after his strong will to endure the struggle. Santiagos strong will originate from his desires for the victory and strength. He doesnt only has strong will, he also proves his strength by his action.3.3 Th