Thisbookgivesmeadeepimpressionespeciallythedescriptionabouttheman’sbravenessandpersistence.
WhenIwasahighschoolstudent,I’vefinishedthisbookinChinese.ButwhenIreaditinEnglish,Ireallygainsomethingnewbothinthewayofexpressionandthespirititshowstous.Maybedifferentagestoreadthesamebookwewilllearndifferentthingsfromit.Atleast,formypart,thatistrue.
Firstly,Iwouldliketoreviewsomeinformationaboutthisbook.Suchasthebackground,majorcharactersandthetopicofit.
TheOldManandtheSeaisastorybyErnestHemingway,writteninCubain1951andpublishedin1952.ItwasthelastmajorworkoffictiontobeproducedbyHemingwayandpublishedinhislifetime.Oneofhismostfamousworks,itcentersuponSantiago,anagingCubanfishermanwhostruggleswithagiantmarlinfaroutintheGulfStream.
TheOldManandtheSeaservedtoreinvigorateHemingway'sliteraryreputationandpromptedareexaminationofhisentirebodyofwork.Thenovellawasinitiallyreceivedwithmuchpopularity;itrestoredmanyreaders'confidenceinHemingway'scapabilityasanauthor.Itspublisher,Scribner's,onanearlydustjacket,calledthenovellaa"newclassic,"andmanycriticsfavorablycompareditwithsuchworksasWilliamFaulkner's"TheBear"andHermanMelville'sMoby-Dick.
TheoldmanSantiagofromTheOldManandtheSeaisacharacterseeninmanyperspectives,asahero,anordinaryfisherman,anunluckyoldman,andawiseman.Throughoutthenovellaheismadeoutasapersonofmotivation,passion,andhope.Despitewhatothersdoordonotthinkheisamanofaction,andnotoneconsumedbyregret.Theyoungandoldvillagers’viewofSantiagoisanimportantone,butnotadifferentiatingone.Thevillagersaresplitintotwogroups.TheolderfishermenthatrespectSantiagoandwishhimluck,andtheyoungerfishermenthatseehimaslittlemorethanbadluck.Whileneithergroupisparticularlyimportanttotheplot,eachoftheirviewssetsanambianceofSantiagoforthcomingadventure.WithouttheirviewsSantiagowouldbelittlemorethanaluckyoldfisherman.Santiagohasaresolutegripuponrealityandlivesbyit.Heseeshimselfasamanwithlittledirectionbutenoughdeterminationandexperiencetolive.Hechosenottoseewhatothersthoughtbutinsteadlivedbyhowheperceivedtheworld.Hisconstantstrugglesandhispersistentresolvetoovercomethemarlinandhimselfshowhisearnestdesirestoliveandfish.
TheboyisacrucialelementtoSantiagoworld.MandolinisalwaysattheedgeofSantiagomindwhenhethinksofconvenience.Attimeswiththefish,Santiagothinkstotheboyandthentohisownlackofability.Hemaydenyit,butattimesitishisrelationshipwiththeboythatbothmakeshimrealizeheneedshelp,andcompelshimtogoon.
Christianimageryandconceptsareimportantassetstotheoldfishermanpersonality.Heisseenasakindman,andalthoughexpresseshisfrustrationtowardscertainpoints,onlyconveyshisangertowardstheevilrepresentationofthesharks.Hiskind,infiniteeyes,andhecarryinghismastlikeJesusandhiscrossonlyaugmenthisChrist-likepersonage.HislonelinessandgreatnessarebothshownasMandolinisassignedanewboatafter40dayswithSantiago,thesamelengthoftimeasChristspentinthewilderness.
Santiagochangeattheendofthenovellaturnshimintoalmostauniversalhero.Bybeingatsea,hisventureswereneverlimitedandtheeventsofthestoryjustseemedtohappen.Afterherebukeshimselfforhisarrogancewiththemarlin,SantiagogoeshomeanddreamsofthelionsplayinginAfrica,signalingacycleofachild-likerebirththroughMandolin.
ThroughoutthestorymanyaspectscanbefoundaboutSantiagopersonalitymerelybythecontentofhis3-dayfightwiththemarlin.TheideologythatencompassesthestoryisonlyconsumedbySantiagopurewilltopersevere.CertainlySantiagoisamanofmanythemesandpersonalitytraits.