What does the quote by Ernest Hemingway about the Old Man in the Sea mean???

Question

Ernest Hemingway, made the following comment about his book the old man in the sea:

"There isn't any symbolism. The sea is the sea. The old man is an old man. The boy is a boy and the fish is a fish. The sharks are sharks, no better, no worse. All the symbolism people say is s***. What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know."

My question is, what did he mean by that last line, "What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know." What does "...When you know." mean?

Answer 1

It's easier to explain the whole last statement:  "What goes beyond is what you see beyond when you know."

He'd begun by saying there isn't any symbolism.   So "What goes beyond is what you see beyond" means that, since there isn't any symbolism, then whatever meaning the story has, beyond the facts that the boy is a boy and the fish a fish, etc.,  ...  whatever meaning it has beyond those facts is "what you see" beyond those facts.   And of course you don't see anything beyond those facts unless you yourself know there is something beyond them.   And "when you know" then no one will have to tell you.

In other words, as I understand it, he was bored with having so many people ask him what does this mean, what does that mean, what does this & what does that symbolize, and hearing of so many critics writing so much hogwash about hidden meanings and symbolism, then he got fed up and said what you quoted above,  which pretty much amounts to the following:

"There isn't any symbolism.  The sea is the sea, ... the fish is a fish  ....   Any meaning the book has beyond those things is only what you can see & know for yourself -- that is, if and when you see or know anything.   And if & you know and understand that, then you won't have to keep asking me, so quit bugging me about symbolism and let's have a couple of Cuba Libres."