《老人与海》作品中的宗教内涵

文学院2008级12班 冉婷 学号：200802121221

《老人与海》是海鸣威本人认为这是他“这一辈子所能写的最好的一部作品”。这个简单的故事富有象征意义，是一则多层次的寓言。海鸣威本人曾人说过：“我试图描写一个真实的老人，一个真实的男孩，真实的大海，一条真实的鱼和许多真实的鲨鱼。然而，如果我能写得足够逼真的话，他们也能代表许多其它的事物。那么他所说的代表究竟是代表什么？评论《老人与海》的人很多，很多人都认为这是一曲英雄主义的赞歌，歌颂了硬汉形像。他笔下的老人是一个英雄一个硬汉，一个愿意与狮共眠的人。一个有如此胸襟、对勇敢这样歌颂的人为什么会自杀，为什么一个几乎什么都有的人，在获奖不久选择性了死亡，而一个几乎一无所有的渔夫，却悠然地颐养天年？为什么我们不从美国社会深厚的信仰背景出发来谈谈在这样简单的故事中作者融合了什么宗教涵义。

对于一个美国人，美国建国产生重要作用的那些人，是为寻求信仰的纯洁和自由来到那里的，他们的信仰不是他们发明的，是人的先知，也是从古代学习继承下来的，从来源上讲，《圣经》并不是西方人写的，是从犹太人和早期基督徙那里传过来，欧洲人慢慢接受了，他们相信，圣经里面神给人的应许，后来也有很多人不再信了，但建立美国的那些人很多人保守了这个信仰，他们对这个很看重。

本书中援引了不少关于基督受难的细节，说明作者有意识地把老人比做基督的化身，在故事的全过程中经历了两次被钉十字架的过程。第一次是老人钓上了大鱼时开始的，他和小船被鱼拖着走，把钓索勒在背上，感到疼痛（耶稣头上戴着荆冠），双手被钓索勒得出血（耶稣手上钉着钉子）。而出海前男孩给他送来的吃食，喻指耶稣的“最后晚餐”。

第二次被钉上十字架的过程，是从鲨鱼来袭时开始的。他用鱼叉扎死了第一条来犯的鲨鱼。后来等他看到另两条鲨鱼中首先露面的那一条时，不禁“AY”一声。作者描述道路：“这个词儿是没法翻译的，也许不过是一声叫喊，就像一个人觉得钉子穿过他的双手、钉进木头时不由自主地发出的声音。”这不是明白无误地表示老人又被钉上了十字架吗？

再说，圣地亚哥这名字是圣雅各在西班牙语中的拼法。圣雅各原是一个渔夫，是耶稣在加利利海滨最早收的四门徙之一。所以老人同时也脸有耶稣的门徒或一般谋求圣职的信徙的身份。他在钓鱼过程中一再吃生鱼肉，渴水，这喻指信徙领圣餐。鱼肉代表圣饼，基督的肉体。老人一声声叫唤那伟大的棒球明星迪马吉奥的名字，拿他当圣徙看待。最后老人回到家，摸黑躺一。作都写道：“他脸朝下躺在报纸上，两臂伸得笔直，手掌向上。”耐人寻味的是海明威没有写明这两臂是朝上伸出（这是教士领受圣职时的姿势），还是向两旁伸出（这是基督被钉十字架的姿势）。作者分明暗示这主人公是人又是神，兼有人性和神性的双重身份。 本书开头时提到老人曾一度八十七天没捕到鱼。根据耶稣的事迹和基督教的节期来看，这个数字似乎含有深意内在。按耶稣受洗后，曾被圣灵引到旷野，禁食四十昼夜，受到魔鬼的试探。（本书开头描写老人双手上由于用绳拉大鱼而留下的刻得很深的伤疤时，作者特意写到：“它们像无鱼可打的沙漠中被侵蚀的地方一般古老。”这无鱼可打的沙漠即喻指“旷野”。）这四十天加上基督教大斋期的四十天再加复活节前的“圣周”那七天，刚好是八十七天。这次老人在海上一连八十四天没打到鱼，接下来在海上待了三天，刚好等于基督从受难到复活那三天。老人在这三天中经历了大磨难，最后获得精神胜利。

这两个八十七天的过程，似乎表明了人生是循环的，是无休止的一系列被钉上十字架的过程。以前发生过，现在重复经历，今后还是会不断发生。老人圣地亚哥代表着所有人的形象，经受着最强烈的放之四海而皆准的苦难历程。这是符合海明威把人生看作是一场悲剧的观点的。

另一方面，这大马林鱼被钓上了，在拖着船走的过程中，被嘴里的钓钩勒得好痛。这时鱼也成了基督的化身。所以老人自言自语地说：“你现在没得痛了吧，鱼，老实说，我也是如此啊。”他不禁止替它感到伤心，并且认为它“也是我的朋友”。等到把它绑在船边，在归航途中遇到鲨鱼时再袭击时，这双重基督的形象是再明显不过的了。

为了突出人生是一系列被钉上十字架的过程，作者在最后写到老人独自深夜返港，背直卷着帆的桅杆爬上岸去，一再摔倒在地（这一点又和传说中耶稣背着十字架上骷髅地时跌倒的故事交相辉映），第二天男孩来看他时，老人提起夜间“吐出了一些奇怪的东西，感到胸膛里有什么东西碎了”，这是暗示基督被罗马兵丁用长矛刺身，流出血水来。而最最生动的一噗是老人扛起桅杆时，曾回头望那绑在船边的鱼的残骸。这一个静止的镜头显示老人作为一个基督，正在开始另一次苦难的历程，而那鱼作为另一个基督，正绑在十字架上。作者就这样的把十字架的全过程浓缩在一起了：基督上骨髓地、基督被绑在十字架上、基督死去。这着重指出了所有生物的共同命运是一系列上十字架的磨难。而那条大鱼的残骸，作者最后描写道：“它如今仅仅是垃圾，只等潮水来把它带走了。”这等于暗示，所有物质的东西，包括人在内，都注定要毁灭的，只有人的行动，和对行动的记忆才是永存的。所以全书的未一句是：“老人正梦见狮子。”他保持着完好的对美好事物的记忆。

《老人与海》不过是一个简单的故事，却成了一个伟大的作品，原因何在？因为在这个作品里边有一种“未知结构”。这个"未知结构"又与美国人的信仰相结合。“未知结构”是什么呢？就是看完这个作品以后，你却很难评价这个名叫桑提亚哥的老人究竟是胜利者还是失败者。他在奋斗，捕获了一条非常巨大的鱼，可是到了最后，他拉回来一副空骨架，他究竟是胜利者还是失败者？海明威先生一直在积累或是寻找，找到一种释放的方式，将自己的内心有意识或无意识地表现出来。《老人与海》就是他表现自己的一生的方式，老人其实就是他自己的象征，“人可以被毁灭，却不可以被打败”这几乎可以被看作海明威一生的精神支持。

如果读一部书使你产生了深刻的丰富的联想，这部书无疑也给了你许多有益的启迪。而近读海明威《老人与海》便给了我一种全新的感觉。毫无疑问小说的艺术特色是独特的，所传达给读者的是一个硬汉子性格，是一种永远也不会屈服于大自然的强者精神。我不能认同的是某些国人认为小说以“老人”最终惨败给大自然，表现了一种消极的情绪，给人一种低沉的失望感。我敢说，小说的最成功也最有力度的正是这样一个又老又病的孤老头子面对强大的自然作殊死搏斗时那种惊心动魄的过程，在这种力量对比悬殊的搏斗中，小说自始自终都是乐观主义的，即使被击得惨败了仍然表现一种真正的内心深处的自信与乐观精神。一个惨败后还能充满乐观一点也不沮丧不消极，这就是一种硬汉性格。我把这种不屈服大自然，不向命运低头的精神理解为美国精神。”

我觉得我们中国人骨子里就缺点这种精神。有外国人说中国人很柔顺，没有以色列人，德国人、日本人甚至美国人强悍。中国人遇事多是一种无可奈何的宽容：“算了算了”，或者“我不能把你怎么样，你一定讨不了好死，”的和事佬，而善于恶就这样分明了。善良总是屈服邪恶。于是恶势力就更如张狂。在这样社会更新竞争激烈的时代，倡导和培养这种面对强大势力不屈服的硬汉精神，对于一向柔弱的中国人来说是很重要的。我相信我将努力于这一领域作一些有益的探索。

第二篇：老人与海人物分析

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1 The background

The Old Man and the Sea is American novelist Hemingway’s short novel. The novel mainly tells us the story that an over sixty years old fisherman ,Santiago ,when he went to sea alone for fishing, he discovered a big marlin fish which surpassed the fishing boat several fold, although he knew perfectly that it was difficult to win, but he did not give up. Unfortunately, the wound of the big marlin fish send out fishy smell, which brought in several crowds of sharks to snatch the food. But the old man still did not give up. He highlighted encircles tightly. Finally, he succeeded in returning to the fishing port with the fish belted. The novel indicates the heroism which the leading character embodies to us, as well as the cruel and absurd social nature. It explains that people can’t exist without indomitable spirit and courage. They should embody the survival value of themselves. It reveals a truth: A person is not going to be defeated as soon as he is born and a person could be die out but could not be defeated.

2 The language

The language in The Old Man and the Sea is simple and natural on the surface, but actually its language is deliberate and artificial. Santiago is the heroic image that Hemingway molded. No matter whether he is luck or is out of luck, the old man always carries out hard struggling and he is never discouraged. He also embodies one kind of elegant bearing.

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The sea symbolizes the actual life, and it is eternal, mysterious. On the one hand, it is intermittently benevolent, which will bring thick gains to you sometimes. On the other hand, it is intermittently ruthless, which will billow billows and makes you a hairbreadth escape. The marlin fish symbolizes the target which people are eager to reach for; however, people’s ideal is always too fine to reach for. The shark symbolizes the tragedy factor which people will never be able to get rid of. It often appears in your most enjoyable complacent moment. The old man just symbolizes the abstract spirit of human beings. The book’s crucifixion imagery emphasizes the cyclical connection between life and death, just as the same as Santiago’s battle with the marlin. His successfully bringing back the marlin brings him the awed respect of the fishermen who once mocked him, and secures him the companionship of Marlin ,and the fishing skills which the apprentices will carry on Santiago’s teachings long after the old man has died.

3 The spirit

Throughout the novel, no matter how bad the circumstances become, the old man exhibits an unflagging determination to catch the marlin and bring it to the shore. The old man meets every challenge with the same unwavering determination: he is willing to die in order to bring back the marlin, and he is willing to die in order to struggle with the feeding sharks. It is the conscious decision to act, to fight, to never give up that

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enables Santiago to avoid being defeated. Although he returns to Havana without the trophy of his long battle, he returns with the knowledge that he has acquitted himself proudly and manfully. Hemingway seems to suggest that victory is not a prerequisite for honor. Instead, glory only depends upon the fact that one has the pride to see a struggle through to its end, regardless of the outcome. Even if the old man had returned with the marlin intact, his moment of glory, like the marlin’s meat, would have been short-lived. The glory and honor Santiago accrues comes not from his battle itself but from his pride and determination to fight.

Choosing the sea as the background embodies the significance of the work. The sea and the destiny of humans are vitally interrelated, taking the sea as the real society that represents deaf to all words and dangerous. The changeable sea, the shark’s ferocious cruelty stands for the world force of the real world. Santiago experienced 84 days bitterly fight, finally, he caught a big marlin fish which was longer than his fish canoe. However, he mopped the empty rack of marlin fish; the shark had deprived his war trophies. But the old man did not desperate; he still loved life, and dreamed a lion which symbolized the strength. We can say that his life belongs to himself, the sea; the boat also belongs to him. Maybe he going to sea tomorrow is a fruitless labor, he always enjoys it during the 84 day’s fight, and he must face up with all kinds of hardships.

4.The writing style

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The writing style of Hemingway is non-remark, non-explanation and non-analytical. It tells us that every action of us is not imaginative but authentic. Having added the thereby of art life ,concise language, short sentences, implicit expressing, not only enhances the express of survival circumstance, but also has a deep middle idea. The truth is seen in the objective. The sea in The Old Man and the Sea is ferocious, barbarous, insidious and fathomless, which is to say, symbolism of society that Hemingway lives. In other words, the people in that world are no more than old boat at sea, and they struggle powerlessly, and endure all sorts of sufferings, in order to avoid death. They can’t see any lighthouse , navigates, or any hope to be reused, that is to say, in the world of massacring each other, people is isolated, not only is merciless between person and person, but also is merciless between person and all living things.

5 Conclusion

In this short novel the old man stayed at sea alone for 84 days, but to be nowhere, collected the net, or went on fishing in the more distant deep sea, and this was the major issue which he must to face up with. Obviously, the old man chose the latter one absolutely. He said “the fish’s choice is to live in the deep sea which is full of crafty plot and snare, fortunately, the fish escaped from it. But my choice was to find them in where nobody has been to”. If he did not go to sea, then, his life was

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meaningless. His survival was also insignificant. One person could be died out, but could not be defeated. The effort of the old man had embodied the spirit on action. By fighting against with the marlin fish and the shark, the old man showed the indomitable spirit. From the material aspect, the result of the old man’s fight for three days had been failed. But from the spiritual aspect, from the aspect of confidence, he gained the victory. Despite of his final failure, he had been in spiritual victory, which gave him the significance and value of existing. Santiago finds the marlin worthy of a fight. His admiration for these opponents bring love and respect into an equation with death, as their destruction becomes a point of honor and bravery that confirms Santiago’s heroic qualities. Santiago, though destroyed at the end of the novel, is never defeated. Instead, he emerges as a hero. Santiago’s struggle does not enable him to change man’s place in the world. Rather, it enables him to meet his most dignified destiny.

People’s real victory is the spiritual victory. No matter how the achievements a person have on material, he can’t win our lofty respect, the only one can moved us is the spiritual victory. A person is not going to be defeated as soon as he is born. A person could be die out but could not be defeated.

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References

The Old Man and the Sea Written by Hemingway