Book report
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's representative works and is an excellent literary work worthy of in-depth discussion. The language of this novel is concise and clear which has striking characteristics. Hemingway's profound writing skills also create a very heroic character image. At the same time Hemingway also used many rhetorical methods especially symbolism to deeply reveal the content and theme of the book.
Next I will share my views on the language rhetoric and symbolism of the Old Man and the Sea in detail.
In my opinion one of the main reasons why Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea is so popular with readers lies in the unique charm of its language . Nearly half of the content in the work is described in simple colloquial language which is more natural and can create a real dialogue scenes for readers. This type of vocabulary is very common so that it doesn't seem to be difficult to understand and it allows readers to read the story smoothly and allow readers to immerse themselves in the story and experience what happens to the hero at sea. Hemingway's use of verbs is also very accurate and vivid. It is easier to find the proper use of verbs in the fishermen's fight against big fish such as drag grasp push pull etc. which highlights the danger of the fishing process presents a tense atmosphere and attracts readers' attention. Hemingway's nouns are very common mostly related to fishing sea life and natural s such as: line hook fish tuna shark the sea the sun and so on. The use of these nouns shows that Hemingway prefers to describe things directly and truly rather than using some fancy words to describe them which enables readers to comprehend their feelings as if they see them with their own eyes.
The Old Man and the Sea fully reflects Hemingway's application in symbolic art. In my opinion the author's deion of Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea is actually a symbol of human's struggle with nature and life. At the same time I also think that the old man is a symbol of perseverance courage and optimistic spirit. I also believe that the image of Santiago is the symbol of the author himself because the author has formed a strong will in his rich life experience and the spirit of never being afraid in the face of difficulties. The little boy Manolin learned fishing skills from the old man at an early age. Moreover when the old man fought with the big marlin and sharks alone the old man often thought of the boy and said "I wish the boy were here." Therefore in my opinion the little boy symbolizes the inheritor of the old man's fishing skills and the spiritual support for the old man when he fights with the big fish. The sea is a symbol of the world people live in or a person's life. Because the sea is full of temptations such as big marlin and risks such as big winds hurricanes and sharks it shows that life in this world is not always smooth but full of challenges and difficulties. The marlin and the shark are two sea creatures that the old man fought against at sea so I think they symbolize the difficulties and obstacles in the journey of life. "The lion is a symbol of strength hope and optimism. The reason why I think so is that every time the lion appeared the old man was struggling with difficulties. Hemingway flexibly uses symbols to express his thoughts and feelings incisively and vividly which also adds a lot of aesthetic value to his literary work.
In the Old Man and the Sea the old man shows a very charming character of heroism. Even if there was no harvest for three months the old man still did not give up and insisted on fishing at sea. On the 85th day the old man was very lucky to meet a large marlin. After hard struggle he finally won. But on the way back he was surrounded by a group of sharks. In order to protect his trophy the old man bravely fought with the shark. However in the end although the shark was repulsed the marlin was also eaten to the bone. Although the marlin was eaten by sharks the old man showed great courage strong will and optimistic spirit in the process of fighting. He is a brave strong optimistic hero who will not be defeated by difficulties. As the original article says: “But man is not made for defeat...A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” The heroism shown in The Old Man and the Sea is highly praised by the readers and gives the readers strong spiritual strength to fight against the difficulties in life.
This article is my views on the language symbolism and heroism of the old man and the sea. This book is well worth reading in depth to discover its literary and artistic value. It is indeed a literary treasure!
京公网安备 11010802032529号