Eco-Critical Study of Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea

Abstract

The Old Man and the Sea (1952), is the most famous work by Ernest
Hemingway, which won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The
novella presents the author's deep reflection on nature. It can be said
that The Old Man and the Sea is a piece of literary work that offers a
straightforward ecological perspective intertwined with a complex
study of the natural world. Ecocriticism has become a popular topic
in the context of the terrible ecological catastrophe. The natural
world in Hemingway's novels has recently come under the attention
of ecocritics. According to ecocriticism theory, the purpose of this
study is to analyse Hemingway's masterpiece The Old Man and the
Sea from the perspective of anti-ecology, which is frequently
overlooked by traditional literary critics. The research article shows
Santiago's anti-ecological consciousness through textual analysis of
the novel. At the same time, it reflects on mankind's ambivalent
attitude towards nature particularly Santiago's, such as reverence for
nature and desire to conquer nature.