The Spirit of Time in The Old Man and the Sea

By Liu Jiao

In partial fulfillment of the requirement

For the B. A. degree

Department of English

School of Languages and Cultures

Nanjing University of Information Science amp; Technology

May 2017

Acknowledgements

I am indebted first and foremost to my advisor Ms. Xia Yuling for her continuous support and guidance, constructive suggestions, and for encouraging me not to fear conducting provoking and uncompromising research. My other teachers have offered me a lot of help with my study as well, and they instill knowledge and wisdom they’ve acquired into our minds without reservation. I also appreciate that my friends are around when I’m at my low point and we share our sorrows and happiness together, and we help each other to solve problems jointly. Last but not least, my deepest gratitude goes to my parents because they have supported me all way along the four years for they have taken good care of me. And I’m also grateful to my other family members for placing great expectations on me, too.

Contents

1. Introduction 2

2. Creation background and social setting of the novel 2

2.1 Creation background of this novel 2

2.2 Social background of this novel 2

3. Tragic characteristics and social connotation 3

3.1 The tragic characteristics internalized in the old man 3

3.2 The tragic characteristics of the old man’s personal life 4

3.3 The tragic characteristics of the big fish 5

3.4 The tragic characteristics of the outcome of the fight 5

3.5 The realistic significance of the novel 6

4. The spirit of time embodied in the protagonist 6

4.1 Tough guy spirit 6

4.2 Enterprising spirit 8

4.3 Struggle spirit 9

4.4 Sacrifice spirit 10

4.5 Hero culture 11

4.6 Faith in the final victory 12

5. Conclusion 13

References 15

The Spirit of Time in The Old Man and the Sea

Liu Jiao

Department of English

School of Language and Culture

Nanjing University of Information Science amp; Technology

Abstract: The Old Man and the Sea is a middle-length novel of American writer Earnest Hemingway and it helps Hemingway win a Nobel Prize in literature. It mainly tells a story about the contest between an old fisherman and a big fish. It is meaningful because after World War Ⅱ the society was faced with depression and degeneration, and Hemingway was eager to offer people hope and courage through writing this novel, which is conveyed through the actions of Santiago in this novel. The tragic characteristics embedded in the novel function as a foil for Santiago’s hero image and the spirit of time which is specific to him. Although fate has arranged a series of blows and failures for him, Santiago uses his wisdom and perseverance as weapons to overcome them all. Besides, the author also aspires to instill people with heroism and triumphalism he firmly holds. When people are faced with difficulties, these beliefs can see them through setbacks and challenges. Even today, these beliefs are of great significance.

Key words: contest; Hemingway; The Old Man and the Sea; difficulty; the spirit of time

摘要：《老人与海》是美国小说家海明威的一篇中篇小说，海明威借此获得了诺贝尔文学奖。该小说主要讲述了一位老渔民同一条大鱼的竞赛。它的意义在于：第二次世界大战后，美国社会日趋萧条，颓废堕落，海明威希望给美国人民带来勇气和希望，在小说中通过圣地亚哥的行动来传达该旨意。小说中的悲剧特质烘托了圣地亚哥的英雄形象，衬托出了他特有的时代精神。虽然命运让圣地亚哥遭受了一系列的打击与失败，他却以智慧与毅力为武器，克服所有困难。除此之外，作者还希望给人们灌输他本人所推崇的英雄主义和必胜信念。当人们面临困境的时候,这些信念能帮助他们渡过难关。这些信念时至今日依然充满积极意义。

关键词：竞赛； 海明威；《老人与海》； 困难； 时代精神

1. Introduction

Santiago, an old fisherman, hasn't caught a fish for eighty-four days. Initially, a young kid called Manolin will always go fishing with him, but after the unlucky forty days, the child's father asks him to work on another boat. Since then, Santiago has to work alone. Each morning he rows to the Gulf Stream where big fish would appear. However, he always comes back empty-handed every night, until a big marlin appears, and he has had a two-day struggle with the big fish. During the contest, the old man encounters a lot of trouble, such as, the bad weather and the enemy sharks. Although he gets nothing in the end, the old man is still a hero, because “one could be destroyed but couldn’t be defeated”.

2. Creation background and social setting of the novel

2.1 Creation background of this novel

This novel is written according to a real story. When world war Ⅱ is over, Hemingway moves to Cuba where he meets old fisherman Gregorio Fuentes. In 1930, the ship Hemingway took sank in a storm and Fuentes saved him, since then, they became best friends and always went fishing together. (田园，2009:107)

In 1936, Fuentes caught a huge fish, however, it was too big to carry and it had been attacked by sharks during the way. Finally, what’s left was only a skeleton. Hemingway thought it was great to turn this experience into a novel, and soon after Christmas in 1950, he started to write and the next year he finished the work which he thought is the best one in his lifetime.

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