Abstract:Ernest Hemingway, a famous American writer, is considered to be one of the most important and outstanding writers of the 20th century in the world. For more than half a century, The Old Man and the Sea has aroused thousands of both researchers and readers’ interests and there are hundreds of research papers about it. In order for readers to get a better understanding of the masterpiece, the writer of this essay will mainly discuss about the writer’s life, his major works, the plot of the story, the main heroes, writing techniques and symbolism. It is these elements that present readers with Santiago’s will, pride, courage, bravery, endurance, confidence and steadfastness. Based upon this discussion, it is hoped that the paper can conclude the theme that human beings can win true victories only after they have bravely experienced all kinds of difficult situations. 

Key words: will; pride; courage; bravery; endurance; confidence; steadfastness

摘要:厄内斯特·海明威——美国著名的作家，被认为是20世纪最重要的、最杰出的作家之一。近半过多世纪以来，他的《老人与海》一直深深地吸引着众多文学作品研究者和读者。到目前为止，已有成百上千的研究成果。为了帮助读者更好的理解这部杰作，本人主要探讨了作者的生平、他的主要作品、《老人与海》的故事情节、故事主人翁、以及写作技巧和象征意义，从而呈现给读者的是圣地亚哥的愿望、自尊、胆量、勇敢、耐性、自信和坚强。通过上述讨论，本文得出：人类只有经历了各种各样的困境之后才能获得真正的成功。

关键词：愿望；自尊；胆量；勇敢；耐性；自信；坚强