【導(dǎo)讀】essential,dangerouslives,suchassoldiers,fishermen,athletes,bullfighters,whomeet. catch.Santiago?scharactersand. s. inHemingway?

　　

【正文】 ut also represents he is well to meet the new battle. What Hemingway writes in the end, The old man was dreaming of a lion reminds us that the old man does not cry over his misfortune, does not yield to bad luck, does not bend before failure. Instead, he dares to face failure fearlessly. It is the lion in his dream which carries a symbol of strength and bravery that shows Santiago?s optimism about life and future. D. Santiago’s Dignity 1. Santiago’s Illusion When he goes to sleep, the action of undressing is practical and lifelike to the readers: He rolled his trousers up to make a pillow, putting the news paper inside them. He rolled himself in the blanket and slept on the other old newspapers that covered the springs of the bed. His life is simple but not wretched. He is humble but not low. In his action there is always dignity and selfrespect. In Santiago Hemingway places his understanding of and confidence in humanity. No matter what kind of plight one is in and no matter how high one?s social position, what is most important is to maintain one?s dignity as a human being. And such dignity should not fluctuate with changes in wealth and turnings of luck, as it is a necessary part of humanity. Santiago maintains his action and displays guyism as a tough guy with his undefeated spirit when he lost in the fight. Yet his friendship with Manolin exposes much of the warmth in his personality. His faithfulness and passion can always be expressed through actions. When he is alone but in the sea he frequently talks of the little boy Manolin, and we know that he is in need of help and friendship. However Santiago?s character is not without its flaws. For example, he allows the conversation on the nonexistent rice and the cast to go on between the little boy and him. And such illusionary talking exposes his irrationality: “what do you have to eat?” The boy asked. “A pot of yellow rice with fish. Do you want some? ” “ No, I will eat at home.” “ Do you want me to make the fire?” “No, I will make it later on. I may eat the rice cold.” “May I take the cast ?” “Of course.” 17 In fact they have neither rice nor fish, nor the cast . Yet everyday they share in the illusion with different attitudes Manolin is being sympathetic when he tries to keep the lies, whereas Santiago indulges in the illusion because of his weakness in character. But such weakness doesn?t make the guy low, but makes him lovable and closer to humanity. Santiago maintains the dignity when he has neither rice nor fish, nor the cast . 2. Santiago’s Undefeated Spirit Santiago maintains great dignity in all situations, although he lost everything. The importance is that he maintains a sense of honor. Santiago certainly does embody this code, which is essentially one of dignity rather than “success.” Santiago, despite his age and poverty, is a ?man? in the fullest sense of the world. Although his strength is gone， his endurance and courage permit him to conquer the Marlin. Even faced with defeat, he does not quit。 knowing that he has no chance against the sharks, he continues the struggle against them. For Santiago, a man who struggles against fate will not be defeated. You can destroy him, but you can never defeat him. This is the essential truth of the “Hemingway code.” And Hemingway defines the theme: the will to challenge and maintain dignity in the face of adversity. Santiago lost the fight against the sharks but he was not afraid. His value lies in the fact that he rose from his failure and regained his confidence. The success alone is meaningless without the initial setback. Santiago obtained more experience and taught them to Manolin. The Marlin he hooked had nothing left but a skeleton, but it won great love and respect for him. To us readers, the relationship between the protagonist and the Marlin somewhat embodies the very existence and faith of human beings. The Marlin is graceful and noble, and its existence supports Santiago?s life and his faith. Yet the sharks are those dark forces that are destructive to human life. They are indicative of all the violence and injustice in the world. For them Santiago has no respect. What he has is but ruthless revenge and a desire to conquer. In the end he loses, but he is glorious. Hemingway vividly creates an image of a tough man. Santiago emerges as a guy who reflects the author39。s own life attitude. That is, to fight though the failure is inevitalbe and to show dignity and grace under pressure. Santiago has strong will，self—confidence and resolution to overe all kinds of difficulties in his life. Even though he knows that he cannot win the battles, he still tries all his best to fight in order to show his dignity and courage, bravery and skill. The old man conveys us that we human beings should keep graceful even under fierce pressure, face the failures bravely and keep the spirit of unyilelding integrity. He is a loser in the battle， but， he wins our love and respect. There are the qualities with which we should be equipped, just as the motto of the old man, “Man is not made for man can be destoryed but not defeated.” 18