Abstract:Hemingway is one of the most famous American writers. His masterpiece, The Old Man and the Sea, won Hemingway Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. The Old Man and the Sea elaborates the tough guy’s spirit, which is closely connected with existentialism. In other words, the old man’s never defeated spirit is just a superficial appearance. The author of this thesis attempts to interpret the novel’s theme in the perspective of existentialism, which is the invisible seven-eighth part under the water. The first part of the thesis introduces Hemingway’s legendary life and his literary achievements, tracing the potential roots of Hemingway’s existentialist thoughts. In the second part, the basic theory of existentialism is given. The third part analyzes the existentialist thoughts in the novel from the symbols and monologues. The forth part analyzes the existentialist thoughts in details. Through these four parts, the thesis aims at analyzing the existentialist theme in the novel.

Keywords: Hemingway; The Old Man and the Sea; Existentialism; Santiago

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

1.1 Hemingway’s Life Experiences and His Major Literary Achievements-1

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

1.3 Literature Review-3

Chapter 2 Hemingway and Existentialism-5

2.1 Existentialist Thoughts-5

2.2 Hemingway’s Existentialist Thoughts-5

Chapter 3 Existentialist Thoughts Conveyed by Symbolism and Monologues-7

3.1 Symbolism-7

3.2 Monologues-8

Chapter 4 The Detailed Analysis of Existentialist Thoughts in the Novel-9

4.1 An Absurd and Desolate World-9

4.2 Everlasting Battle-10

4.3 Everlasting Hope-11

Chapter 5 Conclusion-13

References-15

Acknowledgments-16