Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on twentieth-century fiction, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Early Life

Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of a physician and a musician. He was an avid sportsman and spent summers at the family cottage in Michigan.

He worked as a reporter for the Kansas City Star and then volunteered as an ambulance driver in Italy during the First World War. He was wounded and returned home.

He worked as a foreign correspondent in Paris and became part of the expatriate community of writers and artists. He was encouraged by Gertrude Stein and by Ezra Pound.

The Paris Years

Hemingway lived in Paris in the 1920s and published his first books there. Three Stories and Ten Poems and In Our Time established his style.

The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926, describes the lost generation of expatriates and the bullfighting culture of Spain. The novel made him a spokesman for his generation.

Men Without Women and A Farewell to Arms followed. The latter is a love story set in the First World War and is based in part on his own experience.

Style and Themes

Hemingway developed a prose style of great simplicity and power. He used short sentences, concrete detail, and understatement.

He described the iceberg theory, according to which the meaning of a story lies beneath the surface. The technique requires the reader to infer what is not stated.

His themes include courage, endurance, and the confrontation with death. He was fascinated by bullfighting, by hunting, and by fishing.

Later Works

For Whom the Bell Tolls, published in 1940, is set in the Spanish Civil War and treats the theme of loyalty and of sacrifice. The Old Man and the Sea, published in 1952, won the Pulitzer Prize.

He received the Nobel Prize in 1954 for his mastery of the art of narrative. He was praised for his influence on contemporary style.

He travelled widely and lived in Cuba, in Key West, and in Idaho. He was married four times and had three sons.

Later Life and Death

Hemingway's health declined, and he suffered from depression and from the effects of his injuries. He was treated with electroconvulsive therapy.

He died in 1961 at his home in Ketchum, Idaho, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death was initially reported as an accident.

Several works were published after his death, including A Moveable Feast, Islands in the Stream, and The Garden of Eden. The publication was overseen by his widow and by his editors.

Legacy

Hemingway is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the twentieth century. His style has been widely imitated.

His work is studied for its treatment of masculinity, of war, and of the natural world. His life and his public persona have become part of his legend.

He is remembered for his spare prose and for his code of conduct. His novels and stories continue to be read throughout the world.

The Short Stories

Hemingway was a master of the short story, and his collections include In Our Time, Men Without Women, and Winner Take Nothing.

The stories treat the themes of courage, of loss, and of the confrontation with death. The Nick Adams stories describe the youth and the experiences of a recurring character.

The style is spare and direct, and the meaning is often implicit. The technique of omission requires the reader to supply what is not stated.

The Spanish Civil War

Hemingway covered the Spanish Civil War as a correspondent. He supported the republican cause and helped to finance the film The Spanish Earth.

For Whom the Bell Tolls is based on his experience and describes the blowing up of a bridge behind the enemy lines. The novel treats the themes of loyalty and of sacrifice.

He was criticised for his involvement with the communist side and for his conduct during the war. He later wrote about the period in his journalism and in his fiction.

Africa and the Sea

Hemingway travelled to Africa on safari in 1933 and in 1953. The Green Hills of Africa describes the first trip and the hunting of big game.

He was a keen fisherman and wrote about the sea in The Old Man and the Sea and in Islands in the Stream. He lived in Key West and in Cuba.

The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of an old fisherman and his struggle with a giant marlin. The novella won the Pulitzer Prize and contributed to the Nobel award.

The Public Image

Hemingway cultivated an image of masculinity and of adventure. The image was based on his experiences as a sportsman, a soldier, and a traveller.

The persona was promoted in his journalism and in his public appearances. It became part of the legend and has been criticised as a construction.

His relationships and his health were affected by his drinking and by his injuries. He suffered from depression and from the effects of the accidents.

The Posthumous Works

A Moveable Feast, published in 1964, describes the Paris years and portraits of the writers and artists of the period. The book was edited by his widow.

Islands in the Stream and The Garden of Eden were published later. The manuscripts were edited and arranged by his publishers.

The posthumous works have been controversial, because of the editing and because of the question of the author's intentions. They have nevertheless added to his reputation.

See also

• Lost Generation
• American literature