As a part of English literature and
the critical study here I want to prove a different idea in the Old man and the
sea by Earnest Hemingway.
Old man and the Sea as an epic form
The old man and the sea by Hemingway
is a kind of epic form which based on the epical quality. But the difference
between the other epical work and old man and the sea is that the war generally
describes in the battle field but in this work the war is described on the sea
field.
Like
any other epical work in the old man and the sea we can find the use of heavy
plot construction, vivid description of characters, minute details of outer
world or appearance of characters, minor character warier and heavy languages.
Here writer has used energetic and very heavy language.
Characterization
In any epical works
we can find a vivid description of characters. A writer describe about the
physical appearance of the character as well as mental situation of the
character. During each and every movement we are aware of psychological and
physical situation of the character.
In this work at the very
beginning movement we are introducing to the old man. Through the work we can
find the detail description of the action and thought of the old man. We also
have the pictures description about the physical appearance of the old man.
In any epical work main character
and his description has the major role that by reading we can know about each
and every movement of the character. As in this work Hemingway gives the
description about the old man’s figure, eyes, outlooks, clothes, his house and
each and every thought and feeling. Thus, in this epical work the art of
characterization is perfectly described.
Major theme
In any epical work the theme is
generally based upon a war that is playing into the battle field. In this work
Hemingway has used the theme of war in the different way. We can see the fight
between the Natural objects and the human being. The war that is describe in
this work that is the struggle of old man and huge sea. Even the people around
old man think that a person has become an old man and now it is not his job to
remain in the sea. Indirectly sea can also represented as an enemy of the old
man. But the old man does not lose his hope and plays as the real warier
against the sea.
Thus, theme of war is truly
represented with a different aspect from Hemingway.
Plot construction
In any literary work plot construction
plays very important role that Aristotle says that if there is not character in
the work that would be valid but without plot the works are useless. In this
epic we can find a single plot that is about a fight between the old man and
the sea and finally victory of the old man. The whole work is woven around the
single setting. Thus, in this work Hemingway has described single plot
construction.
The other aspects
If we talks about other aspects of
any epic work that are languages, art of description and many other things. In
this work the language that is based on the old man and the young boy is not
very heavy language. But leads to the reader towards the bravery and the strong
nature of the old man.
Just like a brave soldier the old
man fight in the end and win the war. The description is also plays an important
role in the any epic work. That gives the glimpse atmospheres, the situation
the social activity around the character. The description proves that the
atmosphere around the old man is the realistic picture of Hemingway’s life.
To conclude we can say that in this
work the writer has describe all the characteristics of the epic form, that
each and every aspects proves it is as an epical form. No doubt If we talks
about the length that is not so big but the things that are described in this
short length are truly full with epical quality.
