A Man’s Life: It’s a Complicated Subject

Ernest Hemingway was a part of the modernism literary movement. His works embraced the style and structure of that movement. Much of Hemingway’s work was shaped through his life experiences. It is believed that he used autobiographical details as framing devices for his stories. He would use his experiences and build upon them. Hemingway strongly believed “a writer’s job is to tell the truth” (Bloom 85). It has been said that “no other writer of our time had so fiercely asserted, so pugnaciously defended, or so consistently exemplified the writer’s obligation to speak truly” (Bloom 85).   

Hemingway’s style is fresh, “it continues to make us see more clearly” (Bloom 9). He used a spare and tight journalistic prose style. According to Lisa Tyler, Hemingway himself told an interviewer that on the Kansas City Star he learned how to write simple declarative sentences, a skill that would be helpful to any young writer (Tyler 15). Hemingway often wrote about “how best to cope with suffering and defeat, how to live with dignity in a world that is racked with violence and loss” (Tyler 25). The recurring theme of loss can be seen in “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” as well as “A Farewell to Arms”. The characters in these two stories suffer the loss of a life and the love they thought they knew.

Hemingway incorporated an objective and detached point of view into his books. This worked well with his spare and tight journalistic style. He would often tell the story without stating more than he had to.  The reader would gain their knowledge from the story’s action and dialogue.  A great example of this style can be found in “Hills Like White Elephants”. Hemingway never comes out and directly says the couple is seeking an abortion but it is inferred through the dialogue that takes place between the man and woman.

Hemingway was a genius who influenced a plethora of writers. His influence can be found in many literary styles not just modernism. He was a trail blazer who opened the door to a more real and honest style of writing. Hemingway was adamant “writing should be based on personal experience” (Tyler 26).   

Works Cited:

Bloom, Harold. Bloom’s Major Short Story Writers Ernest Hemingway. Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999.

Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views Ernest Hemingway. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985.

Tyler, Lisa. Student Companion to Ernest Hemingway. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2001.