Abstract:Ernest Hemingway is one of the most celebrated and remarkable writers in the world literature. The Old Man and the Sea is one of his best novels, written in Cuba in 1951 and published in 1952. Since its publication, it has attracted the attention of numerous scholars all over the world. They have spent much academic energy on it from different aspects such as the image of “Code Hero”, tragic consciousness, iceberg theory and so on. Ecocriticism is the study of literature and environment, which provides us another perspective to study the work. 

This thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter one is a brief introduction to Ernest Hemingway and his work, The Old Man and the Sea. Chapter two deals with the definition of ecocriticism and its development. Chapter three explores the origin of Hemingway’s ecological consciousness, which mainly relates to his own life experiences and the historical background. Chapter four mainly analyses the ecological consciousness embodied in the novel. Chapter five serves as a conclusion, presenting the purpose of this thesis, which is to attract modern man’s attention to environmental problems, and arouse their ecological consciousness of protecting the nature. 

Keywords: Ernest Hemingway  the Old Man and the Sea  ecocriticism  

ecological consciousness

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Ernest Hemingway, a Representative of the “Lost Generation”-1

1.2 A Brief Introduction to the Old Man and the Sea-2

Chapter Two Ecocriticism-4

2.1 Definition of Ecocriticism-4

2.2 The Development and Significance of Ecocriticism-4

2.3 A Brief Introduction to Anthropocentricism-5

Chapter Three Origin of Hemingway’s Ecological Consciousness-7

3.1 Hemingway’s Life Experience-7

3.2 Hemingway’s Religious Beliefs-8

Chapter Four Ecological Consciousness Embodied in the Novel-10

4.1 Description of the Setting in the Novel-10

4.2 Santiago’s Ecological Consciousness-11

4.3 The Failure of Anthropocentrism-12

Chapter Five Conclusion-14

References-15