Abstract:In the novel, the Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway creates the perfect image of the Code Hero, Santiago, a man with endurance, persistence and undefeated spirit. What contributes to the success of the novel does not only lie in the profound theme, but also in the employment of symbolism. Therefore, the present research is dedicated to an intensive analysis on how the symbols are exquisitely incorporated into the novel. It includes a brief introduction of the writer Hemingway and the novel, symbol and symbolism and the iceberg theory. Based on the background information, the thesis mainly analyzes the symbolic meaning of main figures: the old man symbolizes ideal manhood; the sea symbolizes living environment; Manolin symbolizes hopes and the sharks symbolize destructive force. This thesis reveals that symbolism plays an important role in presenting man’s indomitable spirits and helps portray characters with flesh and blood. The findings of this thesis are expected to help readers better comprehend the novel. 

Key words: symbols, Code of hero, Santiago

摘要:在小说《老人与海》中，海明威塑造了完美的 “硬汉形象”----圣地亚哥。圣地亚哥拥有超强的耐力、坚忍的毅力及不可打败的精神。这部小说的成果不仅归因于深刻的主题思想，还在于象征主义手法的应用。本文主要内容包括介绍作者海明威的生平和这部小说、象征和象征主义以及冰山理论。本文着重分析了几个主要角色的象征意义：圣地亚哥象征着理想的人类形象、海洋象征着人类生存的环境、马诺林象征着希望以及鲨鱼象征着破坏力量。本论文的结论在于象征手法的使用更好地凸显了小说的主题：人类不可战胜的精神；同时使得人物形象更加丰满。本论文将有助于读者更加深刻理解这部小说。

关键词： 象征，硬汉精神，圣地亚哥