Ernest Miller Hemingway

1. Ernest Miller Hemingway

7. The main works • 1926 : The Sun Also Rises • 1929 : A Farewell to Arms • 1936:The Snows of Kilimanjaro • 1940 : For Whom the Bell Tolls • 1952 :The Old Man and the Sea • 1953 : Pulitzer Prize • 1954 : Nobel Prize

8. 1961, in his home in Ketchum, Idaho, Hemingway died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

9. Iceberg Principle • How is the "iceberg principle" used in Hemingway's works? • Hemingway's theory of omission is widely referred to as the "iceberg principle." By omitting certain parts of a story, he actually strengthens that story. The writer must be conscious of these omissions and be writing true enough in order for the reader to sense the omitted parts. When the reader senses the omitted parts, a greater perception and understanding for the story can be achieved.

10. Symbolism • Hemingway disliked discussions regarding the symbolism in his works. The "iceberg principle," however, by its very nature, invites symbolic interpretations and Hemingway acknowledged this in his own subtle way. • No good writer ever prepared his symbols ahead of time and wrote his book about them, but out of a good book which is true to life symbols may arise and be profitably explored if not over-emphasized.

11. Writing Style • What are a few characteristics of Hemingway's writing style? • Stark minimalist nature • Grade school-like grammar • Austere word choice • Unvarnished descriptions • Short, declarative sentences • Uses language accessible to the common reader

12. Example Themes • What is one theme of "Indian Camp"? • "Indian Camp" can have many themes depending on the critical viewpoint you decide to take. There is the theme of compensation for powerless male figures. How does Nick compensate for his father's apparent powerlessness in preventing the Indian's suicide? Where else do we see Nick trying to be perhaps more mature, more of a man? Where do we see him attempting to gain control over a certain situation? What situation is he trying to gain control of at the end of this story, particularly in the last line of the story?

13. We see Nick immersing himself in the security of his past knowledge and experience in order to better cope with the uncertainty of his present and future experience. Find some examples of this. Finally, there is the all important Hemingwayesque theme of boy's initiation into manhood. Was Nick's initiation into manhood a successful one?

14. What does the mountain Kilimanjaro represent to Harry in"The Snows of Kilimanjaro"? • Harry sees himself as a failed writer. He spends much of the story reflecting on his failures. His failures are amplified by the fact that he is dying. The five flashbacks represent the personal experiences Harry had hoped to write about. After each flashback, he becomes more and more distraught that he will not have the opportunity to get these stories on paper.

15. Harry had come to Africa with the hopes of rekindling his talents. Africa was where he was the happiest and therefore the ideal setting for writing. However, Harry's talent for writing was slipping before he came to Africa and with his leg becoming infected and the gangrene setting in, his fate as a failed writer seemed sealed. Would Harry have been able to regain the stature he desired as a writer even if he was not being confronted by death? This is one of the questions Hemingway wants us to ponder.

16. The dream Harry has (just before he dies) of flying towards the top of Kilimanjaro is another sequence in which to ponder. We do, for a moment, get the sense that Harry is at peace in the presence of the majestic Kilimanjaro. But the story ends not with Harry's dream of ascending mount Kilimanjaro, but with the crying of the hyena. This brings us back to the reality of Harry's death and reminds us of his failed ambitions. Kilimanjaro represents the sovereign height to which every writer wishes to rise. With death breathing down his neck (literally), Harry can now only dream of reaching such a height.

17. A Clean Well-Lighted Place • 1. In what ways do the two waiters differ? • 2. What does the title mean? • 3. What’s is the significance of the gabled Lord’s Prayer?

18. Discussion • What is the meaning of nada? • What is the writer’s intention of replacing many words in the prayer with nada? • Why does the writer not give names of the characters? • How can you distinguish the two waiters? • Why does this place has to be clean and well-lighted? • What is the historical background of the story?

19. His Quotes • Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. • Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know. • I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently.

20. Never confuse movement with action. • When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. • Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter. • Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936

21. The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry. • Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms, 1929

22. For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed. • Ernest Hemingway, in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech

23. Let him think I am more man than I am and I will be so. • Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea

24. Presentation Requirement • Find in the The Old Man and the Sea styles and themes mentioned in class, try to find detailed citations for supporting your ideas and illustrate them in full potential.