Introduction
Ernest Hemingway is one of the most popular writers of all times. He works continue to special values to the readers and to scholars alike. Hemmingway was born on the 21st July 1899 in Illinois. He was the second child of six children (Rivers 2013). Oddly, Ernest’s mother preferred to dress him in a manner that was similar to his sisters (Rivers 2013), but this did not impact his life as an adult. As a young man, he was one of those honorable men who served his country in World War 1. Later Hemmingway worked as a journalist before he began publishing his writings as an author. Some of his most famous pieces include: A Farewell to Arms, The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Despite having won the Nobel Prize in 1954 and the Pulitzer in 1952, Hemmingway ended his life on July 2, 1961, in Ketchum, Idaho.
No one can be sure of his reasons for such drastic measures because no one truly understands the hearts and the minds of the people they meet. Still, Hemmingway’s works earned him the respect of many critics despite challenges he faced, his pen could always provide the kind of thrill that keeps the audience captivated. Some critics will argue that Hemingway’s works are slow in starting, but they become explosive in the end. Nevertheless, this prolific author penned numerous pieces that will remain in history as some of the greatest works of all times.
There is no doubt that Hemmingway made his mark on the world. His rise to fame was slow, but the time was right, Hemmingway exploded into the literary world with a force that took many persons by surprise. Hallengren notes that Hemingway’s recognition as a key representative author United States of America was slow at the start, yet his presence exploded as his emergence as a western writer became a lively adventure for most reader (Hallengren 2014: 1). Interestingly, some of Hemmingway’s works were “burnt in the bonfire in Berlin on May 10, 1933 as being a monument of modern decadence” (Hallengren 2014: 1). This proved that the author’s work had become significant and he was moving in the world of fame.
Early Career
Readers often find that Hemingway’s work provoked strong reactions as the issues he presents are easy to identify with. In Our Time brought mixed reactions from his parents as they read the novel with horror (Hallengren 2014: 1). His coarse, unsentimental and crude style forced his father to return the copies to the publisher. The author had managed to successfully shock many persons who read the novel. But, the explosion in the literary world could also be credited to this style of writing. In fact, it was the main reason why persons gravitated towards his work.
Grace and Clarence Hemingway raised Ernest in the conservative neighborhood of Chicago, but they spent much of their time at their cabin in the northern parts of Michigan. As a result of his time in Michigan, Hemmingway developed his skills at hunting, fishing, sports and an appreciation for the outdoors. During his high school years, Hemingway engrossed himself at the Trapeze and Tabula, the school’s newspaper where he started out as a writer reflecting on sports. After leaving high school, Hemmingway went straight into his journalist career at the Kansas Star where he gained valuable information that would help him to develop his distinctive style of prose writing.
Military Experience
Hemmingway’s life changed significantly in 1918 as he travelled abroad to join the men who fought in World War I. He was an ambulance driver and a service volunteer in France (Mays, 2013: 590) and as an infantryman in the Italian Army (Mays, 2013: 590). Like many other soldiers, Hemmingway was wounded in the line of service, but unlike many other soldiers, Hemmingway receive the award for valor. Later, he sustained injuries that would place him in Milan where he met and proposed to Agnes von Kurowsky. The marriage was not to be and Kurowsky left him for another man.
Like any young man in love, Hemmingway was devastated by this turn of events, but he capitalized on his broken heart and successfully penned "A Very Short Story" and later “A Farewell to Arms”. His life in Paris also had more positive rewards as was a part of the “Lost Generation” of American expatriates including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein (Mays 2013: 590). He returned to the United States with his injuries and began working at the Toronto Star. Despite his poor luck in his marriage proposal to Kurowsky, Hemmingway regain his luck in marriage at the age of 20 years. He married his first wife, Hadley Richardson, who he met in Chicago and the couple moved to Paris. In Paris, Hemmingway worked as an international correspondent for the Star.
A Contemporary Vision of Hemmingway
Some readers would categorize Hemmingway as being insensitive and detached in some of his works. Others would categorize him as superficial as he appears to avoid the emotions in his style. Nevertheless, his unique style of engaging in “a compulsive suppression of unbearable and inexpressible feelings in the chaotic world of his times” (Hallengren 2014: 6) offered the solution to surviving as a unique individual. In addition, his style of writing is a reflection of the hero who wants to be a part of life’s actions. But the author’s desire to remain emotionally detached is merely a strategy that gives the readers a vivid picture of connecting to the human tragedy. While his stories touch the core of each reader, Hemmingway shows the readers that within every failure or tragedy, persons can rise to greatness.
While different persons will share different thoughts on how Hemmingway reaches his level of greatness with his pen, the author notes the he never plans what he will write each day as he “never writes to fit a thesis or a plan” (van Gelder 1940: 7) as each day as he notes in an interview with Robert Van Gelder: “I start with a blank paper and put all that I know at the tie on paper” (van Gelder 1940: 7). Whether Hemmingway spoke the truth or not, one thing is clear: “Hemingway changed the face of American fiction and became a widely recognized public figure” (Reynolds (1999: 3) and an American literary icon.
Hemmingway rose to the position as a bestselling author with his penetrating novel, "The Sun Also Rises" (1926). Understandably, the novel reflected a new style of narrative and created characters that were unheard of at the time. In fact, Hemmingway surprised his editor Maxwell Perkins and New York publisher, Charles Scribner with a style that would surprise the literary world. The novel depicted the story of a wounded who was surviving without a phallus. Of course, no other writer at the time had chanced such an idea, but Hemmingway tested the proverbial waters with this marital tragedy. Without going into details, Hemmingway ensured that his readers would make no mistakes about his topic as he allowed the readers to supply the details from his personal heart that he was not able to get in print at the time. In other words, Hemmingway forces the reader to say the word and must become a part of the story.
“A Farewell to Arms” in 1929 brought controversy to the literary world. The authorities in Boston banned the Scribner magazine that first printed the story and brought with it an article in The New York Times. But, that did not deter Hemmingway as he produced the piece in the form of a novel. The Times reviewer did not approve of the changes as the protagonist was not a war hero, but the book was published and Hemmingway’s path to fame became more opened. Many critics at the time argued that Hemmingway created an aloofness that was rather uncommon in the literary world.
Nevertheless, Hemmingway’s style formed a new perspective in the literary circle. He touched every human thought and emotions. Many of the topics he wrote about were considered untouchable, but to Hemmingway nothing was untouchable and no thought, action or emotion was forbidden in his world. While critics at the time frowned on Hemmingway’s style and content, modern anthropologists, politicians, social scientists and historians revel in “A Farewell to Arms” and treat the novel with the respect that it deserves in its rendition of the real issues of World War I.
The 1930's saw the release of Hemingway’s non-fiction pieces "Death in the Afternoon" and "Green Hills of Africa." Many critics were unsure of how to take these novels as revealed a different style of writing and an almost complex language that diverted from the typical “lean” style in Hemmingway’s writings. On the one hand, “Green Hills of Africa” represented a more intense approach. On the other hand, it was all about attitude. But, the pieces were release at a time when Americans were struggling through the Depression and could not accept the adventures that each story brought to the literary world.
The release of "To Have and Have Not" in 1937 was instrumental in Hemingway’s career as he appeared on the cover page of an issue in Time Magazine. Despite this achievement, many critics argue that Hemmingway’s personal life was influencing his life in many ways and this particular book was the end of his career.
The End of an illustrious career
Death is the ultimate ending for mankind, but for Hemmingway his death was almost the start of his life. A number of stories were published after his death. Even from his grave, Hemmingway reached out to persons with one memoir, three novels, letters, poetry, and interviews that serve as a stark reminder of the might of the pen and one man’s dream to change the mundane world of literature.
In concluding, Hemingway could be considered as one of the most famous American writers of all times. His writing style and the content in his pieces crossed boundaries that no other author of the time dared to cross. Arguably, Hemmingway helped to shape the history of the literary world with his boldness despite his sensitivity. His writings reflected his enthusiasm for his work. But, Hemmingway created a literary persona that defied the conventions of the literary world. His personal experiences helped to shape his characters, but Hemmingway was none of his characters.
Hemmingway taught his readers that in order to be happy, one must pursue happiness. He lived an exciting life and enjoyed the American experience through the eyes of the public. His books influenced more than two generations and his success is marked by the Pulitzer and the Nobel Prize which only few writers have achieved. In essence, Hemmingway was a man who personified change. His works changed the traditional American short stories and the way that persons spoke. He addressed the moral issues of the times and forced the public to face the realities in their lives with his pen. His legacy remains as the foundations of the way mankind struggles with their inner demons.
Bibliography
Hallengren, Anders (2014) "A Case of Identity: Ernest Hemingway". Nobelprize.org. Nobel
Media AB. Web. 13 Mar 2016. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1954/hemingway-article.html>
Mays, Kelly J, (2013) The Norton Introduction to Literature, 11th Shorter Edition, W.W. Norton
and Company, New York.
Reynolds, Michael (1999) Hemmingway in our times: A Web – only Essay
on Hemmingway on the Web. https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/07/04/specials/hemingway-reynolds.html
Rivers, Charles Ed. (2013) American Legends: The Life of Ernest Hemingway, CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform. Print
Van Gelder, Robert (1940) Ernest Hemingway Talks of Work and War, Accessed
https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/07/04/specials/hemingway-work.html
