Ernest Hemingway Influences

Ernest Hemingway was an American journalist, novelist, and poet. Born July 21, 1899 in the small town of Oak Park, Illinois, Hemingway would go on to create a lasting impact on the world through his writing. Most people are familiar with Hemingway and his books, but few actually know that it became possible for him to write them due to the experience he garnered as a journalist. From For Whom the Bell Tolls to The Old Man and the Sea Hemingway’s novels remain a staple of American literature. Throughout his life, Hemingway published a plethora of fictional stories that were greatly influential to 20th century literature and future generations of writers utilizing experiences from throughout his lifetime as inspiration.

Ernest Hemingway was

born and raised in a small suburb of Chicago inhabited by upper-class Protestant families. Ernest would spend his entire childhood in Oak Park. He grew up surrounded by conservative, close minded individuals in a community that tried to remain isolated from the liberal views of the city, a mere ten miles away. Raised by his parents, Dr. Clarence and Grace Hall, along with his four sisters and one brother Hemingway grew up on the conservative, Midwestern values of hard work, physical fitness, self-determination, and strong religion. Hemingway’s parents taught him that if he stayed true to his values he could be successful with whatever he desired. If Ernest was not at his home in Illinois, it was because the Hemingway’s had taken up residence in their summer home on Lake Michigan. The family’s summer vacations to Michigan were detrimental in shaping Ernest; it was here his father taught him to hunt and fish, and he learned to love the serenity of the outdoors. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Hemingway developed his passion for exploring the land, hunting, and fishing; they would continue to be his favorite pastime throughout his life ("Ernest Hemingway Biography: The Childhood Years" Web).
Hemingway’s childhood created lasting impressions of his parents that he carried with him into adulthood.

As an infant, Hemingway’s mother began to dress him in clothes that caused others to perceive him as a female. Despite having sisters, his mother insisted on Ernest wearing dresses and having long hair in order to fulfill her fantasy of having twins. She told strangers that him and his eighteen-month older sister were twins which left long-term damage to his masculinity and caused him to overcompensate as an adult by appearing extremely masculine (Shmoop Editorial Team Web). Hemingway had no qualms with vocalizing his hatred for his mother, especially with the way she treated his father. He admired his father who encouraged his enthusiasm for the outdoors. Although Hemingway idolized his father, he also grew up discouraged by his father and his “whatever you do, do it right” motto that created a stigma against his flaws like his imperfect eyesight and slight speech impediment. The relationship between his parents was less than ideal, they argued frequently and disagreed on important concepts such as how to raise their children ("Hemingway's Short Stories." Ernest Hemingway Biography Web). With age Hemingway’s relationship with his parents only worsened particularly when he embarked upon life on his own because he felt like they did not understand him (Yannuzzi 30). When he began his writing career Ernest’s interactions with his parents and the emotions they elicited

became a featured concept, easily distinguishable in several of his short stories (Baker 12).
In high school, Hemingway’s interest in writing emerged. He worked on his high school’s newspaper Trapeze ("Ernest Hemingway." Web). A few of Hemingway’s stories were published in the high school’s magazine, Tabula. He discovered an enthusiasm for writing he had never considered possible, even envisioning himself as a writer post graduation. He participated in extracurricular activities including both clubs and athletics. Most notably, Ernest took up boxing in school which appealed to his masculinity and craving for excitement; many of the boxing metaphors present in his writing originated from his personal experience with the sport ("Hemingway's Short Stories." Ernest Hemingway Biography Web). Upon graduation from Oak Park High in 1917, Hemingway knew two things – he wanted to enlist in the Army and pursue a career in writing (Yannuzzi 20).