* Introduction
"The Old Man and the Sea" is one of the representative works of the famous American writer Ernest Hemingway, and his last major work. After he published Crossing the River into the Forest in 1950, he was heavily criticized by literary critics, and some even thought that his literary life was over. Against this very unfavorable circumstance, he began drafting a story about Santiago, an old fisherman, struggling in difficult times at the end of the year, as part of a conceived "sea, land and air trilogy".
The novel is set in Hemingway's real-life experience: in 1933, he went to Cuba to experience the life of a fisherman and wrote the magazine "Marlins on the Moro Coast: A Letter from Cuba" [2]. On this basis, he wrote the article "Marlins off the Coast of Cuba" for the American Fishing Competition [3]. The technical details of fishing in The Old Man and the Sea are fully formed in both articles [4]. Due to the accumulation of a deep life, although he suffered a sudden loss of his mother during the creation of the novel—his mother Grace died in June 1951—he completed the collaboration within the year and submitted it to Life magazine for publication in 1952.
In September 1952, the "Life Magazine" that published "The Old Man and the Sea" sold 5.3 million copies in two days, which was a time luoyang paper expensive. In 1953, Hemingway was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1954, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and it is clear that The Old Man and the Sea was one of the main reasons for his award. The novel was an undisputed success among the general reader, and it was not only translated into ten languages and published worldwide, but also widely selected for inclusion in secondary school textbooks. In a survey in China, it was selected by college students as the fourth most popular foreign masterpiece [5].
* Comments and interpretations from multiple angles
Early reviews of The Old Man and the Sea were dominated by praise [1]. Even Faulkner, who had a long-standing grudge with Hemingway, called it "the best work of our generation" [6]. In China, there are also many readers who are appreciative. For example, the famous poets Gu Gong and Gu Cheng's father and son all highly praised this book. The famous writer Yu Hua also liked the book very much. But readers who are also appreciative interpret it in a very different way.
For the average reader, the most obvious way of interpreting it is undoubtedly to understand it literally. So "The Old Man and the Sea" is a tragic story of simple heroism. In this understanding, Santiago is a real old man, a standard realist figure. Perhaps, there will be a small amount of artistic exaggeration here. For example, he did not catch a fish for eighty-four days, for example, he fought at sea for three full days, for example, he could pull a large fish of "fifteen hundred pounds". However, the tone of the story is absolutely true, and the author's purpose is only to tell such a story. One domestic reader wrote, "The first time I read The Old Man and the Sea... All that is felt strongly is loneliness... The second time alone "The Old Man and the Sea"... I felt as if I were the old man who had failed in Hemingway's pen... In the end, all I got was the empty skeleton shelf of the big marlin... The third time I read "The Old Man and the Sea"... There's a new layer of experience. Isn't an old man who has done his best in life and pursued and struggled for his ideals a true victor? [7] It can be seen that what makes this reader feel different is only a different value judgment on the success or failure of the old man's behavior, while the novel itself tells a true story, and he has no doubt that the connotation of this story lies in the old man's struggle in adversity. As Harvey Breit puts it, the book is "a great and 'real' novel, touching, painful, yet joyful" [8]. Or, as Fanny Butcher puts it, the book is "an American classic about man's war with the sea".
However, such a straightforward interpretation is inevitably too superficial in the eyes of researchers. In Western literature, "The Old Man and the Sea" is widely associated with religion [10]. Phlip Young, an early appreciative critic, argued that the book was essentially a parable, intended to express and evoke devotion to his beliefs in the Overseer [11]. In 1956, Carlos Baker gave a further explanation, simply abandoning the apparent identity of Santiago as a "warrior" and directly referring to him as a symbol of Jesus (imitatio Christi) [12]. The impact of this new view was so far-reaching that a large number of later critics interpreted The Old Man and the Sea along this line. For example, Santiago's name itself is "Sant'Iago" in Spanish. For example, the extraordinary powers, compassion, and patience of the elderly. The torment he received was similar to that of Jesus' crucifixion, his wounded hand was analogous to Jesus' injured hand, he climbed ashore with a mast on his back supposedly a metaphor for Jesus climbing the mountain with the cross on his back, and his final fall on the bed seemed to coincide with Jesus' appearance on the cross. Although many doubted such an analogy, this interpretation has had considerable influence in the West to this day [1,10].
Intriguingly, along with the great success of The Old Man and the Sea among ordinary readers, its influence and status in literary criticism have quietly declined. After the 1950s, critical voices gradually became mainstream among professional researchers. According to statistics, throughout the 1980s, the number of research documents on "The Old Man and the Sea" was less than a quarter of that of "The Sun Is Still Rising" [1].
The most important criticism comes from realist critics. First, in the strictest sense of realism, The Old Man and the Sea is difficult to scrutinize, such as sharks that do not have eight rows of teeth at all [13]. There are many similar errors. Under the strictly realistic view, these common-sense errors are almost unforgivable. From this, a closer consideration of the structure and narrative of The Old Man and the Sea will surprise you with the astonishing simplicity of its writing technique: the entire novel is flattened and direct; the third-person omniscient point of view, with almost no perspective switching. These seven books fit the general definition of the traditional novel: "The traditional novel is full of explanations and summaries ... Built on a widely accepted framework of social values. An omniscient third-person narration of the story and unfolding a series of events in strict chronological order" [14]. In contrast, "The Sun Still Rises", as a classic of early modern novels, has all broken through the traditional narrative method and jumped out of the circle of traditional realism. Therefore, it is no wonder that critics prefer "The Sun Is Still Rising".
In addition, feminist critic Martin Swan made a feminist interpretation of The Old Man and the Sea. Criticized Hemingway's male perspective [15]. Ben Stoltzfus and Dai Guiyu conducted a psychoanalysis of The Old Man and the Sea, respectively, pointing out that the lions and Dimaggio that Santiago dreamed of were manifestations of self-desire in the old man of Santiago or Hemingway's own subconscious [16,17].
The Old Man and the Sea (2)
2008-10-18 4:30
* Reinterpretation based on Chinese cultural background
As mentioned earlier, "The Old Man and the Sea" can be understood differently from different angles. Some understand it as a true story, some as an ode to heroism, some as a Christian prophecy, some as a complete fabrication, some as a prejudice against women, some as a history of psychological activity, some as Hemingway's personal psychological implications... Nietzsche said it best: "What is truth? A whole bunch of fickle metaphors, metaphors, anthropomorphisms. [18] Habermas also said: "The word understanding is ambiguous, and its narrowest meaning is to represent two subjects interpreting a linguistic expression in the same way." [19] In a sense, all interpretations are indeed misreadings, for there is no authority that can prescribe a standard way of understanding. Therefore, the author does not intend to explore a more "accurate" or "superior" way of interpreting here. I am interested in the fact that almost all of the previous interpretations are derived from the Western cultural tradition (whether it is the intuitive understanding of tough guys or the Freudian psychoanalysis), so is there a way of interpreting chinese social culture?
The answer is that it does exist. First, take a look at the following report from a Chinese newspaper:[20]
"...Gorio Fustes, the archetypal character of the protagonist Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea, is still alive and is now one hundred and two years old. In 1930, Hemingway's ship was shipwrecked in a storm and was rescued by Fusters. Hemingway admired Fusters' ability to maneuver ships and hired him as his first mate on his fishing boats. ”
Here are a few points to note:
First, the report did not hesitate to call Fustes the prototype of Santiago, although this "fact" in the West is not supported by mainstream researchers.
Second, the report highlights that Fusters is one hundred and two years old.
Third, the report briefly tells a legendary story of rescue and retribution.
Such a tone of writing will undoubtedly make people think of legendary novels in ancient China, and even martial arts novels that are widely circulated in modern times. In particular, the detail of "one hundred and two years old" is obviously only a typical feature of heroes in Chinese culture. If in the Western culture that advocates youth, it is difficult for an old man of more than a hundred years to relate to the image of a hero.
Coincidentally, another report from China described the story in more detail and was even reprinted by the famous Guangming Daily [21]. In terms of details, this one has many contradictions with the previous report (such as the era when Fustex first met Hemingway, one said to be 1930, the other said to be 1928), and it is even more difficult to scrutinize (such as saying that even the prototype of the little boy is Fustex), but it is more legendary. Hemingway and Fusters were described as "friends of no return" and even gave the latter's name to his youngest son. After Hemingway's death, Fusters did not even go out to sea to fish. "Mountains and rivers, ancient acquaintances", is this not a modern version of the story of the Boyazi period?
Here, we should note a major difference between traditional Chinese culture and Western culture: literature and history are not distinguished. In the West, there is an insurmountable gap between fiction and non-fiction, and it is inconceivable to conflate the two. The former belongs to the category of literature, while only the latter can be the material for writing history. However, in traditional Chinese culture, literature and history, fiction and documentary, legend and history are not diametrically opposed. For example, the "Records of History", which is known as the "Masterpiece of Historians" and the first of the Twenty-Five Histories, begins with the legend "Five Emperors Benji", which has not yet been verified; but the poems of Bai Juyi, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, contain a lot of valuable historical information [22]. Don't say that the "classical novels", "classical prose" or "historical documents" we read today are all labels added by later generations, even the traditional classification of "classics", "histories", "subs", and "sets" is difficult to accurately distinguish between different documents. Is the Six Tales of Fusheng an "autobiographical novel",[23] or a "note-taking essay". Why is "Tokyo Dream" included in the "History" department, but "Dream Creek Pen Talk" is in the "Sub" department [25]? From the "Records of the Three Tibetan Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" to the "Journey to the West", where is the boundary between documentary and fiction?
It is true that since modern times, under western influence, China has also introduced a strict Classification System of western style. However, this does not mean that the influence of traditional Chinese culture will disappear immediately. On the contrary, we can find that traditional Chinese culture still firmly occupies the depths of the soul of modern Chinese. Therefore, the author believes that the appearance of the above two reports[21][22] is by no means accidental, nor should it be interpreted as the fault of the writers. On the contrary, these two reports show that the Chinese cultural community is interpreting "The Old Man and the Sea" in its own unique way. This interpretation, which is regarded as a legend, is neither "fictional" (can we say that the Tang monks in Journey to the West are fictional?). It doesn't matter if it's "real" (is there more detail in "The Old Man and the Sea" that can't stand up to scrutiny than in "The Chronicle of History"?). ）。 It doesn't need truth, it doesn't need symbolism, it doesn't need gender and psychoanalysis. What it needs is to engage readers and reflect socially accepted values (or values that the author wants to promote). "The Old Man and the Sea" firmly grasps Chinese readers with its unique artistic charm, coupled with the appearance of centenarian Fusterus, which further caters to the expectations of Chinese cultural values for heroes. When we put the novel and the report together, we can see that many modern Chinese still revere the elders who have experienced the vicissitudes, and still yearn for the voice that is difficult to find through the ages. Their interpretation of The Old Man and the Sea is not necessarily the most profound, nor is it necessarily the most precise, but it has a value that cannot be ignored.
* Conclusion
As a masterpiece of world literature, "The Old Man and the Sea" can be interpreted from countless different angles. Because of this, starting from the background of Chinese culture, there can also be a unique interpretation method that is completely different from the Western way of interpretation. The appearance of the two reports cited in this article confirms this. "A thousand readers, there are a thousand Hamlets," and perhaps a thousand of The Old Man and the Sea.
bibliography
[1] Gerry Brenner, The Old Man and the Sea: Story of a Common Man. Twayne Publishers, New York, 1991.
[2] Ernest Hemingway, Marlin off the Morro: A Cuban Letter. Esquire, Vol.1, No.1, Autumn 1933, Pages 8-9.
[3] Ernest Hemingway, Marlin off the Morro: A Cuban Letter. American Big Game Fishing, Pages 55-81, Derrydale Press, 1935.
[4] Bruce Morton, Santiago’s Apprenticeship: A Source for the Old Man and the Sea, The Hemingway Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, Pages 52-55, Spring 1983.
[5] Shantou University Library, giving full play to the advantages of reading guides and creating a good reading atmosphere, Shantou University Library Newsletter, No. 1, 1998.
[6] William Faulkner, Shenandoah, Autumn 1952.
[7] Xu Jingzhou, Third Reading of "The Old Man and the Sea", Pizhou City Daily, March 28, 1997.
[8] Harvey Breit, Hemingway’s Old Man, Nation, Sep 6, 1952, Page 194.
[9] Fanny Butcher, Hemingway at His Incomplete Best, Chicago Sunday Tribune, Sep 7, 1952.
[10] Wolfgang Wittkowski, Crucified in the Ring: Hemingway’s the Old Man and the Sea, The Hemingway Review, Vol. 3, No. 1, Pages 2-17, Fall 1983.
[11] Philip Young, Ernest Hemingway, Rinehart, New York, 1952.
[12] Carlos Baker, Ernest Hemingway, The Writer as Artist. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1962.
[13] Robert Weeks, Fakery in the Old Man and the Sea, College English, Dec 24, 1962.
[14] The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Second Edition, Vol. 2, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 1985.
[15] Martin Swan, The Old Man and the Sea: Women Taken for Granted, Visages de la féminité, Université de Réunion, France, 1984.
[16] Ben Stoltzfus, The Old Man and the Sea: A Lacanian Reading, Hemingway Essays of Ressessment, Oxford University Press, 1991.
[17] Dai Guiyu, "The Old Man and the Sea", The Representation of Hemingway's Unconscious Desire, Shanghai Education, No. 2, 2005.
[18] Derrida, Memories of Doeyi – For Paul Deman, Central Compilation Press, 1999.
[19] Habermas, Interaction and Social Evolution, Chongqing Publishing House, 1989.
[20] The archetypal characters of The Old Man and the Sea are still alive, Digest, September 14, 2000.
[21] Hua Yan, Visiting "Santiago", Huanqiu, No. 9, 1999.
[22] Chen Yinke, Chen Yinke' Collection: Yuanbai Poetry Notes, Sanlian Bookstore, 2001.
[23] Zhang Ruiqing, "The Six Records of Fusheng": An Autobiographical Novel Before the Wind, Ming and Qing Dynasty Novel Studies, No. 3, 2003.
[24] Feng Wenkun, Female Subjects and Subjects Overstepping: A Feminist Interpretation of Shen Fu's Six Notes of Floating Life, Journal of Zhanjiang Normal University, No. 2, 2002.
[25] Ji Yun et al., General Catalogue of the Complete Books of the Four Libraries of the King,Zhonghua Bookstore, 1997.
![Please believe in the people, the people have awakened[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)