Inner Happiness in Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea
Hemingway's view of human nature was that happiness was rare and was found within a man and not in his outside circumstances or surroundings. Hemingway illustrates this in three ways. First, he portrays the human nature of Santiago, the main character, as being one of humility and compassion, full of strength and pride. He is shown not as a gleefully happy man, but one who meets life with a serene, quiet resilience. Second, Santiago's fellow villagers are shown as shallow and materialistic, with a narrow view of life compared to his. Their focus on appearances is in sharp contrast to Santiago's focus on intrinsic values. Third, it will be shown that his rare brand of happiness comes from within.
Poignant circumstances surrounded the composition of this novel, which bring out many of the above points. It is widely recognized that Hemingway was possessed of a turbulent personality and suffered from emotional depression. This was despite the fact that he enjoyed much critical acclaim. The Old Man and the Sea was written after a ten-year hiatus of public and critical approval. This period saw much of his work receive negative criticism in literary and journalistic circles. This affected Hemingway adversely and very deeply (Carey 9). Therefore, Hemingway's personal battle with seeming failure in his life's work and society's attendant criticism parallel Santiago's stoic resolve in the face of his neighbors' disdain. The author's struggles symbolically match those of Santiago and set the stage for the writing of this novel.
The acclaim generated by this book was due largely to the author's " complex knotting of spiritual and phys...
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...proud rationalization of its superiority. Balancing security, happiness, and values, Athens is a shining example of freedom, opportunity and justice. It is a nation that both builds itself on and produces uniquely spirited citizens. The sentiments of Pericles’ truly are reminiscent of modern day American Exceptionalism. “I doubt if the world can produce a man who, where he has only himself to depend upon, is equal to so many emergencies, and graced by so happy a versatility, as the Athenian.” (2.41.1).
Plato. "Phaedrus." The Works of Plato. Trans. B. Jowett. New York: The Dial Press, n.d.
Hemingway’s narrative technique, then, is characterized by a curt style that emphasizes objectivity through highly selected details, flat and neutral diction, and simple declarative sentences capable of ironic understatements; by naturalistic presentation of actions and facts, with no attempt of any kind by the author to influence the reader; by heavy reliance on dramatic dialogue of clipped, scrappy forms for building plot and character; and by a sense of connection between some different stories so that a general understanding of all is indispensable to a better understanding of each. He thus makes the surface details suggest rather than tell everything they have to tell, hence the strength of his “iceberg.” His short stories, accordingly, deserve the reader’s second or even third reading.
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Pericles of Ancient Greece once said, “What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” He lived out this motto all throughout his life; in politics, war, and his personal life before rule. Pericles was over all one of the best leaders of Athens.
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Earnest Hemingway’s work gives a glimpse of how people deal with their problems in society. He conveys his own characteristics through his simple and “iceberg” writing style, his male characters’ constant urge to prove their masculinity.
Plato, Phaedrus, trans. R. Hackforth, in Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns, eds. The Collected Dialogues of Plato (New York: Pantheon, 1966).
Ernest Hemingway had many great accomplishments in his historical life but one event sticks out from the rest. The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway’s most enduring works. Told in Language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novel confirmed his power and presence in the literacy world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature. This novel also won the Pulitzer Prize award. III. July 21st, 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born. He was born to DR Clarence Edmonds and Grace Hall Hemingway. He grew up in a small conservative town called Oak Park, Illinois. His father, a practicing doctor, taught him how to hunt and fish, while his mother, wished to make him a professional musician. His upbringing was very conservative and somewhat religious. He attended Oak Park and River Forest High School, where he distinguished himself in English. His main activities where swimming, boxing, and of course writing. In 1917, turning his back on University, he decided to move to booming Kansas City where he got a job as a cub reporter on the Kansas City Star. At the train station, his father, who later on disgusted Ernest by committing suicide, kissed his son tenderly good-bye with tears in his eyes. This moment was eventually captured in For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemin...
There is never a simple key to any writer worth much attention, but in the case of Hemingway there is something that looks so like a key… that it cannot escape any informed and thoughtful reader’s notice" (O’Conner 153). Ernest Hemingway was one such author. Very rarely did he summarize statements, therefore the only way to solve his puzzle was to take it apart and examine each components. One of the hidden elements that the reader must analyzie closely is the parallel between Santiago and Jesus Christ. In the novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway creates connections between Santiago and Jesus Christ that adds religious coloration to the story.
Ernest Hemingway is a world renowned writer who is known for his short and to-the-point yet unique style. While being greatly praised for his style he is also greatly criticized for it as well. His body of work includes numerous poems, short stories, and various novels as well. He even won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his story “The Old Man and the Sea.” The panelists awarded him for his overall mastery of the English language and for his modern unique way of narrating.
Vikings were a truly diverse and fascinating people. As they rode the waves of the Atlantic Ocean to many different lands, the warriors struck terror into the hearts of people throughout the many countries they raided. Just the sight of the long, carved beasts at the bows of their ships slinking toward the shores through the mist was enough weaken even the strongest soul. However, while being vicious, inhumane barbarians, a different lifestyle prevailed in their homelands as they faced the same daily struggles as any other society. They were farmers, traders, explorers, and accomplished shipbuilders. There followed laws and customs for which there were punishments if those laws were not followed. They prayed to their Gods and loved their families. In the end, the Vikings traveled over most of the world and left a lasting impression that still excites our imaginations to this day.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a story of the relationship between an old fisherman named Santiago and nature. For eighty-four days Santiago has set out to sea and returned empty-handed. On the eighty-fifth day, he set out determined to catch a fish. Santiago catches a marlin, but sharks attacked the fish leaving only scraps and bones. Santiago views the sea as the source of life and meaning. The old man has an unique relationship to and understanding of the natural world. He talks about the sea as though it is a woman and he dreams of lions. He views the birds and fish as his friends. The creatures and the natural world become lens to understand his character.