Abstract: From The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, we can see the struggle between Santiago and nature—the sea, the marlin and the sharks. Though Santiago is exhausted and knows the result is a failure, he is still fearless. Living in desperation, Santiago’s words that”A man can be destroyed but not be defeated” is still powerful and inspiring. The sea is a microcosm of our present society, and all the hardships that encounter the old man are the symbol of the hardships we would meet in the society. So those symbols remind me of our generation. We grow up without experiencing major setbacks, and we have families and friends who always take care of us. Under this background, if we live in the same situation as Santiago, can we have the confidence to speak out the same words? By analysing the symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea and contact this novel with our own life, this paper will talk about the meaning of reading this novel, and to learn from the old man: his firm will, positive attitude towards life and be not afraid of frustration and work tenaciously.

Key words: The Old Man and the Sea Symbolism Positive effects

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction-1

2 Literature Review-3

2.1The Definition of Symbolism-3

2.2 The Characteristics of Symbolism and its Function-3

2.3 Studies on The Old Man and the Sea in China and Abroad-4

3 An Analysis of Character Symbols-5

3.1 Santiago–the Symbol of the Strong Will-5

3.2 The Little Boy–the Symbol of the Encouragement-6

3.3 An Analysis of Other People-7

4 An Analysis of Symbols from Nature-8

4.1The Sea–the Human Society-8

4.2 The Sharks–the Evil Side-9

4.3 The Inspiring Lions–the Symbol of Power, Collective Strength and Fighting Spirit-11

4.4 The Marlin–the Symbol of Dreams-12

4.5 An Analysis of Other Symbols-13

5 Conclusion-13

Bibliography-14

Acknowledgements-16