This blog post examines how ‘Demian’ portrays good and evil not as fixed moralities but as tensions within the human psyche, and why that boundary inevitably fluctuates, through the work’s symbols and the characters’ development. ‘Demian’ was written in 1916 during World War I and published in 1919, immediately after the war ended. Hermann Hesse (1877–1962), already a renowned...
What is the hardboiled style of 『The Old Man and the Sea』?
This blog post focuses on how the hardboiled style of 『The Old Man and the Sea』 builds narrative tension and symbolic depth through short sentences and restrained expression. In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway builds upon his earlier works not only in content and thematic aspects but also in form and style, simultaneously developing them in a unique way. Techniques such as the so-called...
Does The Old Man and the Sea speak of human struggle, or of the coexistence of humans and nature?
This blog post looks beyond the common perception of The Old Man and the Sea as solely a narrative of man’s solitary struggle, examining the coexistence of humans and nature and the ecological solidarity revealed through Santiago’s perspective. It is said that literary works that have attained the status of classics are read anew in every era. Classics are works that rarely...
Why does the lion dream recur as a symbol of solidarity and hope for Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea?
This blog post examines how the recurring lion dream in The Old Man and the Sea symbolizes solidarity and hope beyond Santiago’s loneliness, exploring its narrative and symbolic significance. If human life is ultimately a ‘futile struggle,’ then what lends even a modicum of meaning to this struggle is the bond between people. Hemingway persistently emphasizes in The Old Man and the...
Why does Santiago remain an undefeated hero even amidst ruin?
This blog post deeply analyzes why Santiago, despite his material ruin, refuses mental defeat and remains a Stoic hero, focusing on the narrative and symbolism of The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway addresses themes in The Old Man and the Sea that transcend his personal experiences to touch on more universal subjects. Among these, heroism and Stoicism stand as the most central themes of the...
Is Santiago’s relentless struggle to catch the marlin a challenge against time and the passage of years?
This blog post examines the meaning of aging, time, and artistic rebirth through Santiago’s battle with the marlin in The Old Man and the Sea. As is often the case with Hemingway’s works, and particularly with The Old Man and the Sea, the diversity of its themes is striking. Like many works that have attained classic status, this novel also acts as a mirror, allowing critics...
Why did Hemingway turn away from the tumultuous world history and focus on Santiago’s fishing?
This blog post examines why Hemingway focused on Santiago’s fishing amidst the tumultuous world history, exploring the literary significance and direction of thought behind that choice. In theater, the setting—whether spatial or temporal—is merely the stage upon which events unfold. In novels, however, such settings are invariably closely linked to the work’s theme, whether...
Is Santiago’s solitary struggle in The Old Man and the Sea a survival strategy or the practice of a normative life?
This blog post examines Santiago from The Old Man and the Sea not through the lens of an immigrant’s survival logic, but as Hemingway’s normative protagonist, analyzing the ethics of endurance and action inherent in his solitary struggle. Santiago, the protagonist in The Old Man and the Sea, can be seen as an existence that has grown into the young boy Nick Adams (In Our Time)...
What truth does Les Misérables reveal about the 19th-century French Revolution?
This blog post examines how Les Misérables shows the 19th-century French Revolution was not merely a political event, but a history condensed with the lives, suffering, frustration, and hope of the people. Victor Hugo, Confronting the Revolution The film Les Misérables, which gained immense popularity in Korea several years ago, was a musical adaptation of the novel of the same name...
Is Inspector Javert a villain, or a victim trapped in a “wrong righteousness”?
This blog post examines Inspector Javert from Les Misérables not as a simple villain, but as a character ensnared by a “wrong righteousness.” It explores the tragic clash of law, justice, and conviction, tracing why his choices led to catastrophe. It shows how people, as individuals or as a community, forge the right path of history. Moreover, it starkly reminds us of the many harrowing...