A NIHILISTIC AND EXISTENTIAL EXPLORATION OF SANTIAGO’S STRUGGLE IN THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Authors

  • 1 Aziz Ullah Khan Assistant Professor, Department of English and Applied Linguistics, University of Science & Technology, Bannu, KP, Pakistan Author
  • Muhammad Hassan Shah, M.Phil Scholar, Visiting Lecturer, Department of English and Applied Linguistics, University of Science and Technology, Bannu, KP, Pakistan Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63878/jalt2794

Keywords:

Santiago, Ernest Hemingway, psychological conflict, existentialism, absurdity, loneliness, guilt, resilience, The Old Man and the Sea, autobiographical elements

Abstract

This paper explores Santiago’s inner thoughts, emotional development, and behavioral patterns in Ernest
Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952), interpreting them as manifestations of psychological resilience
amid existential despair. The study also investigates how the narrative subtly mirrors Hemingway’s own life
experiences, particularly his psychological and emotional turmoil during the later stages of his career.
Santiago's solitude, guilt, and eventual emotional exhaustion parallel Hemingway's personal feelings of
alienation, creative fatigue, and existential crisis. The old man’s physical struggle against nature, his
introspective dialogue, and his ultimate resignation are interpreted through existential philosophy, particularly
the absurdist ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre. The relationship between Santiago and Manolin is also analyzed as a
symbol of Hemingway’s longing for human connection in the face of spiritual isolation. Ultimately, the novel is
argued to be a symbolic reflection of Hemingway’s internal world and a profound meditation on the human
condition.

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Published

2025-06-27

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 02 (2025): (JALT)

Section

English