【正文】 s’ close attention. With the more studies of ecological criticism, more and more classic literary works are interpreted from a new angle. In this part, the emphasis is mainly put on the study of the ecological criticism: its concept and its function in our society. The concept of ecological criticism Ecological criticism appeared in the latter part of the twentieth Century, when the crisis of the global environment was being increasingly serious in Europe and the United States. And then the tide of literary criticism was expanded gradually to the world. It was presented first in the article entitled “Literature and Ecology: An experiment in Ecocriticism” by the American critic William Rueckert in 1978. It integrated the ecological ideas into the field of 2 literature in order to explore the relationship between literature and the natural environment. It aims to arouse people’s ecological consciousness by reproducing the nature in the literature and explaining the literature works in a new angle. The position of people in the nature, the attitudes that people should take towards the nature and the people’s situation after destroying the environment are all included in ecocriticism. The functions of ecological criticism Glen Love proposed that the most important functions of ecocriticism is to guide people’s consciousness to a full understanding of the position of the nature where the environment is posed to a threat. Ecocriticism should observe the relationship between the human and the nature and find out the social root of ecological crisis in order to advocate the harmonious coexistence of human and non–human, to respect the nature and maintain the ecological balance of the nature. 2. The study of Hemingway and the nature Hemingway is a writer obsessed by the nature. The nature is one of the themes of his works. The stormy sea, the flowing river, the vast forests, the lush green mountains, the vast deserts have provided the inspiration for his writing. He would like to walk into the nature and enjoy it. Hunting, fishing, skiing, swimming are all his favorite sports. Hemingway had lived through the two World War and an abhorrence of war, the disappointment with the Western civilization, the love of the nature all lead him dedicate his life to looking for the nature without human destruction in order to seek spiritual consolation. In Hemingway’s view, the literary works could lead people go from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism. The Old Man and the Sea is such a work and the novel set in a vest sea. In addition to the birds, fish and friendly dolphins, there is almost nothing. Here is an entirely natural world. Hemingway through a Cuban old fisherman here tried to express his ecological consciousness. The Old Man and the Sea is the main work of Hemingway’s late years. This is a summary of his thinking life. Because of the two World War and the destruction of human on the nature, Hemingway 3 determined to return to the nature. He took interested in natural movement. He took part in the two World War and saw and experienced trauma caused by war to the human body and the crisis of the spirit and despair that were caused by war. Therefore, disillusionment, spiritual crisis, nihilism, tragic consciousness had been shrouded in Hemingway’s mind. Because of the human alienation phenomenon from the modern civilization and of war and destruction, Hemingway decided to return to the nature to fight the war, alienation, emptiness and despair. The old man was lonely and helpless and lived in peace together with the nature. All creatures of the sea and the sea were his brothers, his friends. Therefore, even though he was alone, he didn’t feel lonely. The old man on the beach lived a simple life. He and the nature lived together peacefully without sorrow and worries. 3. The analysis of Hemingway’s ecological consciousness in his works The Old Man and the Sea is the representative of American writer Hemingway in his later years. Over the past few decades, people were all in the appreciation and praise the hero of Santiago and regarded him as an tough guy image and lamented his classical Greek tragedy. However, this novel is one of Hemingway’s representatives of the iceberg principle. The thought that is expected to explore by the reader is immense. Perhaps the tough guy image, the tragic hero that people know Santiago are just like an iceberg exposed surface 1/8 and deep in the sea 7/8 are waiting for people to explore. This article tries to discuss a series of behaviors and psychological activities from the ecological perspective so as to find out the ecological consciousness that the author wanted to express. The advocating of a simple life and conservation of natural Resources Santiago was the most important character in the novel. He lived in a place faraway from the city civilization. To be exact, it can be said to be a fishing village. His life was just like Thoreau in Walden. He lived his life in a very simple way and lived near the original life. The author described the state of his life in deferent aspects. 4 1) His fishing boat The boat that he had was a small fishing boat rather than young fishermen’s motorboats, the guy that he used was so old and the sail was patched with the bag of flour. 2) His house He lived in a cottage, the house furnishings were very simple and there were only a bed, a desk, a chair, and a place on the dirt floor to cook with charcoal. 3) His cloths His shirt with so many patches was just like his worn sail on the boat and these patches faded in the sun into many different shades of color. 4) His diet When he was at home, the little boy Ma Linnuo as his apprentice sent the black beans steamed rice, fried bananas, and some stew to him. Before going to sea, the o