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)...
The Speed and Direction of Evolution: Why Did Dawkins and Gould Hold Different Perspectives?
This blog post compares the evolutionary approaches of Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould, exploring why they held differing views on the speed and direction of evolution. This book creates a fictional debate using the opposing views of Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould on Darwin’s theory of evolution. Richard Dawkins wields the powerful weapon of ‘The Selfish Gene’ to explain...
Hester and Dimmesdale: What is the true meaning of sin and atonement?
In this blog post, we explore the true meaning of sin and atonement through the two protagonists of The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale, examining their suffering and journey of growth. Hester’s Shameful Yet Proud ‘A’ In 17th-century Boston, Hester Prynne violated the Seventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” As punishment for her sin, she was sentenced to wear the...
Evolutionary psychology, how does it explain human behavior?
In this blog post, we explore how human behavior and psychology evolved through evolutionary psychology, and how it still influences modern society. The theory of evolution has been at the center of scientific inquiry and debate since it was first proposed by Darwin, and has played an important role in discussions about human origins and nature. Attempts to explain human behavior...