|
|
Abstract
Hemingway's famous novel "Old Man" , to use its proposed "iceberg theory" creative principle , the use of symbolism and creative deconstruction techniques, praised the human in dealing with this theme the struggle between man and nature , the expression out " can be destroyed , can not be defeated ," the great spirit . Based on Hemingway's life experiences on contact , focusing digging the elderly, the sea , the little boy , marlin and other big implication symbolism, and then understand Hemingway's writing style .
Keywords : symbolism ; Old Man ; iceberg theory ; Hemingway
Mo Yan got the " Nobel Prize " , the people and my heart is hot, the streets , " spread the news " , the major media is the " Red Sorghum land" Mr. Mo Yan 's in the end of the exposure . Traceability is always driven by the spirit of the people , failing to " always turned upside down ." Similarly, I recently just finished reading Hemingway several works, including " The Old Man ," " A Farewell to Arms ." Hemingway and read the relevant information , trace their life stories to expect a better interpretation of the text .
1 The relationship between Hemingway's life experiences and text analysis
1.1 Description of Ernest Hemingway story
1899 was born in a very different character parent families , fathers adventurous profound impact on his life. He is interested in a wide range , but the ambition is very strong, get the championship on sports events, will give up the sport. As a result, he failed boxing , the football, but because the football team is not the main and give up. Like fishing and hunting , this is his life -loving thing. Since student days , love writing , writing articles on campus ringing people .
1918 to participate in the military, instigated by the monopoly capitalists , young, he went to Europe to fight the Allies in Italy to participate in the vicinity of Austria was seriously injured . Cross Medal of the Italian post-war medals returned to do a reporter , but thought into confusion . 1924 resigned from reporters work to devote himself to literary writing , this year published " in our time ." The following year the second edition , " In Our Time " earned him a reputation.
Since then, successively published " The sun also rises ," and " A Farewell to Arms ," " Afternoon of the Dead ," " African Castle ," " Have and Have Not ."
1936 Spanish Civil War broke out, he joined the opposition to Franco 's war , and later joined the International Brigades , the people and communism had contact with understanding. It changed his confusion in the spiritual world inside . Hemingway wrote the screenplay in the meantime the "fifth column" in the commentary, also wrote war novels , " Whom the Bell Tolls " and so on . World War II , he was wounded several times , despite poor health , but still likes hunting and bullfighting. He is the one who refused to bow before the fight , so he is extremely great ideological struggle in his later years . However, the " only" Old Man "is his more optimistic, despite the optimism inside the transmission out of solitary grief. [ Diao Shaohua ," Foreign Literature Review of Books ---- Hemingway , " page 28 , the Liaoning People's Publishing House , 1980] " July 2, 1961 , Hemingway because of the treatment effect was not significant, at friends' unbearable grief with a shotgun he chose to end his own life.
2.1 Analysis of the attitude to life
First, a student may know , Victory is his greatest feature , so he had a positive spirit of adventure . Later, volunteered to join the army , in order to achieve the establishment of " ' war service " is the best evidence. Secondly , he is a tough guy style characters , while fighting in Italy, was wounded by shells still weighs wake carrying wounded teammates break through enemy territory . Third, is particularly important point is that he has been constantly struggle with, fight with the enemy on the battlefield , in Africa and lions, rhinos wrestling , bullfighting in Spain has participated in the contest , and so on . And his heart there was a never -ending war. Such authors as the " Old Man" hero Sandy Diego prototype. Fishing for a living , but it is very old archetype of the hero , to a great extent from the author himself .
"Old Man " in the symbolic image analysis
The main content of ( a ) "Old Man " is about Fisherman boat ride alone Sandy Diego fishing in the ocean , a continuous 84 days are nothing. In the first 85 days he met a bigger boat than the Marlins . After three days and three nights in the life and death struggle , the old man finally caught. Unexpectedly, the return voyage was a group of shark attack. They tied around the sides of the boat marlin scramble . Although the old man worked hard, to no avail , and finally the old man dragged his exhausted body , only the bare skeleton of the Marlins back to the hut . This is the novel " The Old Man ," the whole plot.
But is such a " simple" but it can deeply affect the European and American literary fiction , shocking hundreds of millions of readers mind , one important reason is that the seemingly simple story , but the novel contains a multi-layered , complex and profound symbolism [ Zhang Avenue Liu Yao narrative deconstruction care under the concept of "Old Man" ( [ 1 ] Hefei University 2001 ; . ] old Sandy Diego is a microcosm of humanity , the sea is one of the activities of the stage fisherman , fishing is struggle with the sea , unyielding to fate , a symbol of the struggles of the positive . " Old Man" is the story of a symbol of human nature to contend with the story , although the nature of the Titanic , Kennedy urged all humans with tenacious willpower , confidence, courage, perseverance, never give up , the spirit of self-defeat , continued to successfully close and eventually become spiritually winner . " Old Man" is a glorification can be destroyed but not defeated " human stalwart quality.
(B ) "the old man , the sea , children, fish skeleton" symbolic significance analysis
Hemingway's distinctive and highly artistic talent, is that he does not adhere to the traditional realism and romanticism , his own unique creative approach deeply influenced . Here, the explanation is that he can not do the "iceberg theory " was. Of course, the iceberg theory , is probably the most familiar of Freud . But Hemingway was not influenced by Freud psychology , from the novel approach using symbolism , this is obvious.
In 1932, Hemingway in his documentary work " Death in the Afternoon " , and made his famous "iceberg principle [ Diao Shaohua " Foreign Literature Review of Books ---- Hemingway ", page 84 paragraph 2 , Liaoning People's Publishing House , 1980 ] . " He likened the literary iceberg floating in the ocean . Think . " Authors should only describe ' iceberg ' exposed part of the surface of the water , the underwater part of the prompt text should be adopted to allow the reader to imagine the supplement ," he said: "The movement of the spectacular and majestic iceberg , because he was only eighth in the water on . [ Yuan Quan Yin Jane Hemingway 's "iceberg" style ] " literary works , text and image is called" eighth ", and feelings and thoughts are so-called" seven-eighths . " The first two are specific visible, the latter two are both among the former resides . It is like the history of rhetoric often said , " Words" , " difficult to write such things in front , with different meaning in implication ." There is a lot of work , " subtext " , which read more people to ponder deeply symbolic taste and mustering the strength to forge the spirit of it.
An elderly Sandy Diego
Sandy Diego can be interpreted as a typical " tough guy " type figure. The hero who is the most experienced sea fishing skills highest fisherman, but now old and poor. But he did not give in , still life filled with high morale, as is to prove he is still the best fisherman. So he was able to endure three days and nights of hunger , and leave no stone unturned to bring back fish flew ( although leaving only the bones ) , in order to prove that he is never weak, but strong fate, never discouraged , always optimistic face life. We believe that the hero Sang Tige 's " tough guy " image is Hemingway idealized .
" Tough Guy " is his belief that his ideal character , is his cry was gloomy , oppressive social status issue . In fact , the old man just ordinary people a member , but his attitude towards life has reached the transcendent realm of ordinary life experiences . Walter Williams believes that " the author 's thoughts about life can not be ignored periodically ; each cycle is like a Christ was crucified experience [Barthes quoted Li Hong -Man: Deconstruction impact on traditional translation theory [ . . J] PLA UNIVERSITY OF FOREIGN .2001 ( 3 ) : 77 ] . " Dedicated to their mission of Christ and the crucifixion , and won spiritual transcendence. And the old man after a fierce struggle, while losing the trophy has also been a valuable spiritual wealth , that is, on the surface failed, but the victory achieved inner , spiritual reached a new level. In the course of the elderly and hordes of sharks wrestling , showing extraordinary courage, spirit and ability , but it seems all efforts ultimately proved futile. First of all, all alone at sea are objective reasons . The reason is because the fishermen were afraid of loneliness stained doom and alienated him. To catch a bent old man , " whom he was born the" big fish . The elderly is to count on it to restore his reputation , which determines a person he had to go deep , leading to a series of bad luck whirlpool. Elderly people struggle with the fate of virtue , virtue triumphed higher sense - moral victory . These profound reflection Hemingway from negative thinking to positive aspects of change. Hemingway in 1926 to Maxwell Perkins 's letter said: "I know some prominent figures , even if they are toward the grave , but also can not perform well on the road [ ( USA ) E Neisi . .. special Hemingway the Old Man [M] sea view , translated Beijing : People's Daily Press, 2000:15 ] "Indeed , the death , the elderly do not fear, impassioned face , not succumb to fate , but the doom heavily underfoot.
2 , the little boy Manolin - human intelligence and spirit to pass
Children and the elderly in the spirit of consensus has a great , they are very speculative . From the perspective of the elderly , the young guy is also a portrayal of his childhood , so the old man on his high expectations . From the perspective of children , the elderly are the idols in his heart , so be repeated several times to accompany him to the sea fishing, because the old stalwart in the heart of a child is unmatched . Due to an elderly man in a small rowboat in the eighty-four days catching fish without harvesting, the little boy's parents forced him to leave the old man. However, when the little boy to earn some money , he decided to return to the old man . This can be seen as the return of the spirit , which also talked about existentialism of Sartre similar problems . Whenever the old man fishing before dawn , he always says : "Then if you looksomething truly big we come to your aid [Barnes, Lois.The Helpless Hero of Ernest Hemingway [J] Science & Society.]." In killing big marlin and sharks struggle with the process , the elderly are always shouting again and again the little boy 's name. "How I wish the boy were here [Hghrnes, Lois.The Helpless Hero of Ernest Hemingway [J]. Science & Society]" This sentence appeared many times in this novel, which shows how the little boy on the elderly important .
Similarly, when the old man did not bring back a fish , but merely a big marlin skeleton , the boy did not laugh at him , like other fishermen, but to comfort the old man : "We will fishtogether now for I still have much to learn ["The Old Man and the Sea", Journal of Shanghai University ofElectric Power, 2004-20 (4): 103-104] ". The two men 's personalities , hobbies, ambitions morale is so similar that we can treat them as a person to look at. This is Hemingway's life course , the teenager as he might have this little boy , full of a great sense of curiosity about the world and conquer . "The old man's past and future scenes full reflected in the little boy 's body , and with an incomparable spiritual strength makes him energetic . [Hghlights of American Literature, United States InformationAgency, D.c 1971 Book Ⅳ.]" Boys decided to stay with the old man again and again three fishing symbolize wisdom and spiritual strength of the human will from generation to generation , the little boy is also a symbol of the future of mankind will achieve the final victory.
Of course , the old man mentioned several times in the fight where the little boy , but also fragile place in his heart . I said , " Be strong and who is death ; weak persons, students are [ ] ." This powerful but are actually in the heart of old Xinyou there, reflected very clearly. This philosophy of Chuang Tzu , " nothing to be " is different. This emphasis on the reality of reality have a strong desire to change .
3 , the sea - a dark world
"Old Man " in the language is very unique . Deconstruction suggest that speech while continuing to carry out the différance also constantly sow , so that the content of the text was open , uncertainty , and has no reduction. Différance and spreaders are inherent characteristics of speech , language and therefore can not be a true reflection of the author's intentions. Sow make sense of speech to convey not like the presence of metaphysics that spread from the center to the edges , but as a seed obtained from discrete constantly surrounded by fragmented nature and not against the center of the adequacy of origin, and refused to form a new center. By seeding , any text actually declared incomplete , with a non- self-sufficiency , however, preached the significance of having a rich content diversity .
Therefore, we can have the following interpretation of the sea .
Through the work of the imagery depicts the sea , reflects the atmosphere of Hemingway's existential philosophy and the philosophy of Superman . Sartre think there is nothing in itself , and Nietzsche think there is a kind of transcendence beyond the human itself . The Hemingway through the depiction of the "tough guy " hero 's interpretation of Nietzsche's concept : beyond life itself, not from the outside , but human life itself. The image of the dark sea representatives human world , in front of her , just tiny humans weak , dominated by her . When happy she will bring good luck humans ( good harvest : big marlin ) , but also for humanity trials and tribulations ( Sharks ) , so humans have nothing. We can not seem to anticipate future trends of society , but can not escape the misfortune , because we are at this time as "Being" exists in this world. Only strong enough to break through the human self, to gain new hope and strength to go beyond the existing world imposed gives tragedy. Sea for fishermen is both the source of his life , and is relying on life ; both competitors to survive , but also a sacred and mysterious symbol. His ideal of the sea is the sea childhood in Africa , " prolonged golden glare shipwreck and white beaches, towering headlands and brown mountains and now he lives in the seaside night in a dream to hear the tide the roar and saw the local boat shuttle to come and go from the tide . " he imagined the sea is a woman . Her love and hate , sometimes sprinkled temper , and even prank , that she could not control his temperament sake ; woman trapped inside as the moonlight , moonlight also trapped inside the ocean. Sea seems his lover, misty moonlit ocean What a charming girl ah ! The sea is his consolation . Sometimes the sea is more like a mother , merciful and has infinite fecundity ; bred and nurtured generations of people . In short , she is his mother and his lover ; both his goddess , and his banshee ; since his childhood residence , but also the comfort of his soul . She can create everything, can destroy everything. The image of the sea symbolizes a personalized sense of consciousness disappears, she unfathomable , representing death. We can say that the problem faced by the elderly in fact, "To be or [ ] ." In the face of death , the hero decided to maintain a strong human personality , values and dignity. Even when life and death struggle with the shark , the elderly have never been raging sea , savage, sinister and unfathomable intimidated , but aroused his fighting spirit and remain optimistic elegant style. The author seems to be the initiative to humans : self-reliance in the face of failure should be brave .
4 , Marlins skeleton - a symbol of the great triumph
Sandy Diego fishing at sea 87 days , killing a great big marlin . To protect the big marlin , the old man with the crazy shark launched a desperate struggle. Finally, the big marlin or be eaten, leaving only a skeleton of a giant . Old again failed. However, this is almost the cost of his life fighting apparently beyond the original intent of the elderly, to develop into a spiritual pursuit. While most people's eyes, this skeleton is just a bunch of waste to be cleaned up , For the elderly, it means a huge success - a spiritual victory. This victory is a symbol of the will of his unshakable , is a symbol of courage to confront and challenge the failure and death.
5,87 days - with religious symbolism
Sandy Santiago Christ 's body with a strong color . Sandy Santiago previously 87 days at sea nothing. Now experiencing less than 84 days to catch fish , " bad luck " , plus three days of hard work at sea and make up the 87 figures. This is a very interesting figure, because the land of Jesus in the wilderness by the devil test, Tianshui rice into 40 , 40 days after they suffered a variety of misery , in a later week is being crucified then resurrected . After 87 days together exactly what . In addition to these hidden digital information , later in the novel when Hemingway was still describing the case back to the hut after the old man wrote: " lying face down on the newspaper palms down his arms stretched straight ." , As if a gesture Passion of the Christ . These descriptions seem to symbolize the " crucifixion of Jesus, the resurrection of suggesting that people of all religious beliefs will suffer huge disaster , but will eventually get spiritual regeneration ." Recall of unyielding character , courage and hard work of the spirit , and I feel more and more like the author to write autobiographical fiction .
Sea symbolizes life fighting games, is the silhouette of human society. Big marlin symbolizes the ideal thing to pursue the elderly , and the elderly marlin conquest , it indicates that the human race to achieve their ideals must overcome many difficulties and obstacles. Sharks main representative of all destructive forces are predatory , manufacturing disaster , preventing people reach the ideal symbol of the destructive forces of various . Elderly dreaming , " the group of lions ' exhibit fearless courage and indomitable fighting spirit , vitality and youth representatives , a symbol of the power of the elderly and the pursuit of strong yearning.
Hemingway is shaping those under strong pressure without losing the style is renowned literary hero . Hemingway in his novel creations, created a series of "tough guy image" , "Old Man" hero "old " Santiago in the face of harsh environments , the performance was very strong, confident , with superior endurance force , strong will , for the pursuit of lofty goals and to realize his ideals were arduous personal struggle . Thus became Hemingway shaping the kind of " man can be destroyed but can not be defeated ," the most typical " tough guy " image. In Hemingway's social relationships Santiago is very simple. Beginning of the novel , the author quietly recounts : "He is alone in a Gulf Stream fishing in a boat on the old man , he went there to go after another eighty four days have not caught a fish " " . " Santiago seems to be a transcendent world outside person. He had no great achievements, bizarre encounters. His early novels mentioned only visited Africa, have seen a lion ; 've had a wife , has left him. And now the only contact with him only a small boy Manolin (P129 " only child " ) . But he was fishing "There are a lot of know-how ," " say fishing , the top had a good number of " Santiago . Fishing for many years lived in the sea, leaving his body carved unforgettable imprint , cast his " tough guy " character. Fiction wrote: Santiago , " the combination of deep neck wrinkles , on both sides of his face looked thin and haggard with long brown lump that is reflective sun tan sarcoma in the tropical sea pimple along . . spread on both sides of her face down, because the old in with the rope fish 's sake , two hands have left deep scars wrinkles , but no one scar is new . " " Every part of his body seemed very old , except that a pair of eyes. those eyes , ah, just like the blue sea , is pleasant , not depressed . " his great personality , finds his mission is to go deep sea fishing, although a series of eighty-four to go days , did not catch a fish , but still with a " hope and confidence " alone drove the boat out to sea , and that " people do not go there any place visited ." in the novel, Santiago fishing only is to " feed themselves " , and is " for the glory ." " On the one hand to feed my fish , on the one hand to kill me ." Therefore, he must overcome the fish . And the fish are in the choice : "It's all choice is to stay in the trap , • lure and tricks are nonetheless it can not woo woo black deep water where my choice , that is what people do not go there to get it visited . out . • "" me and it no one has a helper . " when he name of the fish, but the hands cramp , " I hate cramps , this is a betrayal of their own bodies , their own lost his face , "but and confident : . " but you, you will never collapse ," he hopes to prove he is the kind of person that is Hemingway's guidelines: "Let me as I am now more than some manhood it, in fact I would like that . " he proved a thousand times have come to nothing . But " now he has to go to prove that every time a new beginning , and he never went back on the past when he was doing . ." He said: . " Pain in a man is not the same thing ."
When he finally subdued the fish , hunting his dream goal , when returning to the victor , but encountered a more dangerous opponent : sharks. So he went and made a desperate struggle sharks , scarred. "A person is not born to give the beat , and you can rest him destroyed, can not beat him ." This is completely Hemingway's philosophy of life . He mentioned the value of personal survival above all to the point , but at the same time with a clear pessimistic . Finally , Santiago failed to wrestle with sharks , fifteen hundred pounds of marlin only one empty skeleton , but he did not fail spiritually , P289, P290 " I'm sorry that I go too far, and I gave it to you ruined it "" " ." you go too far , the luck to ruin it . "So at the end of " Old Man " , the " old man " pondered :" But , what put you beat it ? he wants ' nothing, ' he raised his voice and said, ' I went too far . ' " home, he still dreamed of a lion . The " Lion" is a symbol of his power. He is strong in spirit , " beat him ." P290 " I want to fight them to the death ."
Hemingway "Old Man" , and further develop the manly theme depicts the challenge to fight alone in front of frustration showed great determination and perseverance , under the pressure of tough guy to live with dignity . Fisherman Santiago shaping the character , reflecting the value of the author 's character and dignity of worship : the determination, courage , dignity and patience .
(D ) a symbol of the theme :
Hemingway said, " I'm trying to shape a real old man, a real child, a real sea , a real fish and real sharks. If I can mold them very well and true , they would mean many things . " this tells us that although the plot of the novel is very simple, but it contains a profound meaning. The hero of the novel focused on describing the situation three days and nights alone at sea fishing. To highlight the theme you want to show , the author of the protagonist Santiago dropped into the ocean almost isolated from the world , and to let him alone with the ocean , sharks fight. In Hemingway , the sea is clearly not just a landscape of nature, but also a symbol of the community. As Santiago to fishing only as a kind of means of livelihood, but also the same place as the arena of life . In the text of "Old Man" , the authors repeatedly use " black ", " dark " and "black woo woo " and youleng , mysterious words to describe the sea , • sea full of large and small marlin and sharks . Especially when people are trembling Santiago sea with sharks fight fierce anger, brutal , insidious and unpredictable and unknowable (P291). All this makes Santiago seemed so small, so helpless . So vividly demonstrates the inescapable human failure in the fight against the forces of fate outside .
But at the same time , works by Santiago failure demonstrated in front of the indomitable spirit of struggle and failure remained significant even grace , but also highlighted the failure of people to confront this subject . Conclusion: The theme of the work is twofold, both forceful yet sad.
( Five ) Art Features - " Iceberg Principle "
Hemingway likened his own creation "iceberg" , and with "iceberg principle " to vividly summed up his own artistic styles and techniques . He said: " I always try to write in accordance with the principles of the iceberg on each part of the show out of the seven eighths are in the water below , you can omit the go you know anything , this will make your iceberg . deep again, this is not apparent part . " and in the" Old Man " in his writing style and the purification of the subconscious symbolic metaphor, has been the greatest manifestation . The vast sea, a lonely old man , a hard fight , a glorious defeat of Heroes " ," classic face , let us now begin to remember and explore.
1 , the wording simple and deep meaning . In this novel, Hemingway used his most successful years of the kind of temper succinct language style . A fluent , concise style , subtle and poetic to read . Third-person narrative of the story , smooth statement , fast-paced, with as distinct , and no modification of the wording too . But in this simple language, but it is rich in content, like that hidden in seawater , like seven-eighths of the iceberg , and that's where the charm of the novel .
* Analysis: Hemingway's novel can be read on more than one level this means . On the one hand , this is an exciting adventure story with a tragic . The story told of a broken old fisherman , under his pride of career ( his only pride left ) support , adventurous voyage to the Gulf Stream and stayed there a catch in the waters never seen over the biggest marlin . The story went on to say he was alone , because after struggling to live in this big fish fork depleted of strength, and a group of pirates forced into a desperate fight like a shark among the results of those sharks just left him under the prey of a skeleton. Can say that this is a film about the tragedy of man and nature . On the other hand , this is a fable , which describes the people with the power of the unconquerable spirit - the spirit of a person how to grab victory from the disaster and the actual failure of the environment. In another aspect, this is a parable of religious significance , the author does not noticeably add to the theme of Christian symbols and metaphors . And Coleridge described the "old sailor ", as Hemingway 's Cuban fisherman is such a role , he allowed the author's imagination while activity in both areas , the two areas have different meanings and values , a note realism, and dramatic ; other moral and didactic , full symbolic significance .
Third, the conclusion
"Old Man" is the full use of symbolism embodied Hemingway "iceberg" style . In simple language novels , short length , simple storyline shaping the image of a tough guy . Old San Diego boy , sea, marlin , sharks, lions , etc. are given rich symbolism and meaning, so-called " infinite words still intended to do ." The whole work rich in content , profound meaning . Praised the " can be destroyed but not defeated " human stalwart quality. Although deconstruction has its limitations , but in view of its reasonable speech critical spirit of contemplation , we do understand that the " Old Man " open text and its meaning is uncertain. While we can not accurately and specifically outline its meaning , but we can be sown along the trajectory of a constructive interpretation of verbal differance . To add a new literary treasure of mankind 's image has positive significance .
