A Literary and Psychological Exploration of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea: The Iceberg Beneath Perseverance

Abstract

This research probes the theme of perseverance in Hemingway’s novella The Old Man and the Sea to uncover the psychological   strategies developed by Santiago in maintaining his willpower. The research utilizes Modernist Literary principles of alienation and existential endurance to portray Santiago as a universal archetype of resilience in the face of life adversities. Santiago’s psychological strategies, that enabled him to maintain his resolve despite physical limitations and misfortunes, including his reflection on nature, his symbolic associations and his subconscious conditioning are examined through Psychoanalytical Literary criticism lens. Thus, the research adapts Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory to uncover the multilayered connotations of the emotional and philosophical depth of Santiago’s journey concealed by Hemingway’s minimalist prose.