E.C.303 American Literature

Assignment paper: - E.C.303 American Literature

Topic:-Major Themes in ‘Old Man and the Sea’

Student Name:-Andharia Darshangi K.

 Roll No:-1

 URL:- http://darshangiandharia01201112.blogspot.com/

Semester:-1

Batch:-2011-12

                   

                                           Submitted to,

                                                         Dr. Dilip Barad

                                                         Dept. of English 

                               Hemingway was born in 1899, was the second son of Clarence Hemingway, a doctor, and Grace Hall Hemingway, who had been an aspiring opera singer. He wrote poems and artistic for the school newspaper and he also tried to write short story. His works are ‘A farewell To Arms’, ‘In Our Time’ (story collection), ‘The sun also rises’ and ‘The Old Man and the Sea.’ It was first published in 1952 and he got the noble prize for literature in 1954. Even he got Pulitzer Prize for `in1953. He has published so many publication but ‘Old Man and The Sea’ is become popular among the people. In Santiago’s character, Hemingway had finally achieved a character that could face the human condition and survive without fear and do better his work. Hemingway has depicted the relationship of Santiago with other people, which discovered the way of proclaim the power of love in a deeper and wider way then his other works .Hemingway is remembered as one of the great stylistic innovators of modern American Literature.

  Style of Hemingway

His Novels are using at least one point of view and it is one/single character that is the main and many other characters surrounding that character. Another is no one Narrator, Story goes on or we can `say that third person on or hidden narrator. Through his writing we come to know the puritan society member, their behavior towards Santiago all those things. Setting in the Novella is small fishing village, name Cuba and the sea which runs North, then east of Cuba in Caribbean Sea. Structure is important in this, three days struggle of Santiago against the big Marlin. It is divided into tree part. (1) Go for fishing

        (2)Achieve the great Marlin

       (3)Come back with the carcass of Marlin.

Hemingway has used many symbols throughout the Novella. It is one of his styles of writing. Symbols are Sea, Skiff, Harpoon, Marlin, Lion and Manolin also presented as symbol of love, faith, loyality and luck. Symbols can be defined as a person, place or thing which can represents something more then written words or literal meaning. It shows the hidden part of the characters and their situations in which they are, and suffering of the person.

  Major Themes in the Novella

1)    Love

2)    Luck v/s Skill

3)    Human condition

4)    Youth & old Age

5)    Christianity

(1)        Love:-

                 In Santiago’s life love plays vital role. His love for Manolin, his wife who is dead, his fishing and all those things. It gives him force for his work better and do perfect things which he takes into the consideration. Even he tries to do so for his relationship with others. Relationship with Manolin, which has endured since his childhood. Santiago thought him to fish and give him the lessons of being self worth which his father failed to give him. He brings food and clothes for Him, His father don’t like that his son lives with unlucky old man but Manolin don’t stop his working. He knows that I will learn something from Santiago which other cannot give him. His love for wife and his friend Pederico is also mentioned very effetely. He had to take down his wife’s portrait because made him feel lonely. After coming from the journey he remembers his promises to give him fish head which show his love fore friend and it also suggest the following of his promise.

                 He also loves the nature or living creature, fish, bird, and all things. In the dialogue of Santiago, he says that “I love but you I will kill you at the end of this day.” This shows his love for fish. He knows his work as a fisherman but there is love in his heart for the fish.

(2)        Luck v/s Skill:-

               Destiny plays vital role in Santiago’s life. Santiago has that power or strength to achieve the goal. He is unlucky because after 84 days he cannot catch any fish so he is dislike by Manolin’s father and fisherman also called him unlucky. Even many people say that he is not enough to do fishing. But he believes that on the other day he will go and catch big fish. But at the end of the story he got Marlin but Sharks comes and they eat her. He had that skill to catch, the way he pulls the fish his calculation about the things but on that his miscalculation becomes his reason of his failure. Through we can say that Santiago has skill but he is unlucky.

(3)        Human condition:-

              Through the character of Santiago, Hemingway has depicted the picture of common man. Santiago shows one dream to catch big fish and for fulfill his dream ha struggle a lot. He knows that from this war only one can survive either Marlin or old man. But he never gives up and works hard for his survival. Even his hands cuts badly, he lose his harpoon when Sharks comes, he become tiered and at that times he clutches his body with line and tries to catch Marlin or conduct the fish. This shows his love for his work or eager to fulfill his dream.

                Without dream no one can survive, everyone have some kind of goal or dream which they have to complete one or another way. And at the and when Marlin is eaten by Sharks at that time, he says himself that “I want to far.” He never repents over his failure to achieve whole fish. So, Santiago teach us lot of thing, how to live? How to accept unsuccess and many other things also.

(4)        Youth and Old Age:-

                      Youth and old age both are opposite condition of life which faces Santiago. Tough, he was old but his heart is young. And many a time when he feels trouble at that time he remembers his youthful days when he was young and does arm wrestling and dream of lion all this things. He also remembers his favorite player Joe DiMaggio who was baseball player and through him Santiago gets inspiration .His friendship with Manolin is also one of the example of youth and old age. Because, he needs his help and even in the middle when he was in the boat, he thinks that little boy is not with me. And the dream of lion on the beaches in the evening and Arm Wrestling when he was young, that was to long like this struggle. These dreams gives him confidence in his work, he knows that at his age he is not able to fight with Sharks that attack his fish but all his dreams represent to him power or strength. It show that thought have no age.

(5)        Christianity:-

                 Santiago is not religious person, but when he goes for fishing on the 85^th day, he prays God and chain some thing, even he promise that if he got the fish he will do something or he will over his “Mannat.” This shows that he is very familiar with Roman Catholic saints and prayers. After coming froe the fishing he lies on his bad with his outstretch arm and his bleeding hand, the way he carries the boat mast like a cross all these things gives clear idea about crucifixion in the Novella.