The transcendental elements in Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea

Abstract

This study looked for transcendental elements in the characters, setting, plot, and theme of Ernest Hemingway’s novella, The Old Man and the Sea in order to find new insights into its interpretation. It used transcendentalism as its theoretical framework and formalism as its analytical approach. Transcendentalism is a religious philosophy focusing on the oneness of nature and human beings while formalistic approach requires the close study of the text without extra consideration as to the biography of the writer or his milieu. The analysis of the text confirms that, indeed, transcendental elements are prevalent in the novella under scrutiny. In terms of characters, Santiago is a fisherman who even conversed with animals. In terms of setting, most of Santiago’s encounters were at sea, Gulf Stream, and the beach. This is where he used to fish and fought with the shark and met Manolin and his animal friends. In terms of plot, the story revolves around Santiago and Manolin and their fishing trips. Santiago spent eighty four days of fishing at sea but it was on the eighty-fifth day when he caught a big fish. Santiago struggled when sharks came to attack the fish that he has caught. Even though Santiago struggled he remained triumphant at the end because he was able to bring the carcass of the big fish. In terms of theme, the novel expressed universal ideas that delved into the spiritual realms. It is recommended that Hemingway’s novel be used in literature courses which study transcendentalism.