Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essay about Ernest Hemingway
Ernest hemingway influence on american literature
The life of Ernest Hemingway
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essay about Ernest Hemingway
The Tragic Life Of A Brilliant Author: Ernest Hemingway “Any man’s life, told truly, is a novel.” That is certainly true for Ernest Hemingway, a brilliant writer, lover, and tragic man who has forever influenced the literature world. He continues to intrigue and mesmerize audiences around the world with his great novels and short stories. Hemingway’s free spirit and love for nature strongly influenced his works. Also regarded as one of the heads of “The Lost Generation” Hemingway was a true ex patriot. Unfortunately Hemingway’s inner demons took over and ended his life. He left behind a plethora of beautifully rich works for readers and ages to come. Hemingway’s writing is part of the most identifiable and powerful in 20th century literature. His technique is straightforward, with easy language and simple grammar . His emblem is a clear technique that is free of descriptive adjectives. His sentences are short and regular, they mostly focus on action rather than reflection. Hemingway was also obsessed with revising. He would weed out the excess and keep what he thought was most necessary. He kept his writing direct and unembellished, embracing the “iceberg principle.” (Hemingway-Maxwell 70). To add, Hemingway’s dialogue was considered some of the greatest. His characters communicated in simple yet vivid terms. His minimalistic writing is displayed within his short stories, achieving the most from the least. With that, Hemingway did not embrace emotions in his writing. He saw emotions useless in his writing. Instead he formed sculptures to portray the authenticity “He used his life experiences as inspirations for many of his books”( Bruccoli 34). Hemingway was famous for his strong macho man figure and actions (Clifford 45).... ... middle of paper ... ...al struggles and demons. The Old Man And The Sea, written in 1954 became Hemingway’s most popular novels earning him the Pulitzer Prize (“Ernest Miller Hemingway”). In 1954, he won the Literature Nobel Prize (“Ernest Miller Hemingway”). Even at the top of his literary career, Hemingway's body and mind were beginning to turn on him immensely. He was recovering from many old injuries, dealing with deep depression and struggling with many varying conditions. Before his retirement he wrote a memoir of his time in Paris In Idaho he continued to battle with diminishing physical and mental health. In July 2, 1961, Hemingway committed suicide with the aid of a gun (Baker 221). Hemingway’s life was a story of triumphs and tragedies, of joy and despair. He earned great acclaim as an author during his lifetime, but even that could not stop him from losing the will to live.
Because of the above, it is helpful to have some understanding of his theory. In Death in the afternoon, Hemingway (1932,191) points out that no matter how good a phrase or a simile a writer may have, he is spoiling his work out of egotism if he puts it in where it is not absolutely necessary. The form of a work, according to Hemingway, should be created out of experience, and no intruding elements should be allowed to falsify that form and betray that experience. As a result, all that can be dispensed with should be pruned off: convention, embellishment, rhetoric. It is this tendency of writing that has brought Hemingway admiration as well as criticism, but it is clear that the author knew what he was doing when he himself commented on his aim:
There is a never ending list of what makes some people amazing story tellers. Some writers have vast imaginations, other writers use the lives of others in their stories and other writers use their lived experiences in order to write moving works of art. Most books, works of poetry and short stories that revolve around lived experiences share a common theme of love, hate or both. As these are emotions that all humans share, However, there are some stories that have far more unique. Stories like “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. Both O’Brien and Hemingway come from two completely separate walks of life but were both able to write stories using the same theme of emotional and physical
It was Ernest Hemingway’s belief that “for a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment” (Nobel Prize Speech). This means that each time someone puts pen to paper, he should strive for such realness that it seems unreal. Rhetoric, or use of language, is the most critical aspect of writing. This is because a skilled use of rhetoric not only allows the writer to convey his ideas to an audience, but also manipulate the way the audience perceives them. Hemingway is extremely well-known for his use of rhetoric, which includes his figurative language, syntax, and other types of literary devices. Hemingway uses syntax, figurative language, and the placement of his stories and chapters
Meter, M. An Analysis of the Writing Style of Ernest Hemingway. Texas: Texas College of Arts and Industries, 2003.
In The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume II. Edited by Paul Lauter et al. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 1991: 1208-1209. Hemingway, Ernest. A.
other writers. He adds that the later novels seem more “mannered” and have less “impact” (p. 3). Comley and Scholes (1998) suggest that literary critics agreed that Hemingway’s style has undergone several changes. Cowley (1962, p. 46) argues that “by the early 1930’s Hemingway’s technique, apparently simple in the beginning, was becoming more elaborate”. Epstein (1982, p. 557) agrees that Hemingway was reduced to having produced only one good novel The Sun also Rises, some good short stories, and “the originator of once elegantly simple prose style that over the years dried up and flaked off in self-parody”. While Assadnassab (2005, p. 19) maintains that Hemingway uses “long plain words”, other critics such as Young (1966, p. 203) claim that Hemingway prefers to use short words.
Ernest Hemingway is today known as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century. This man, with immense repute in the worlds of not only literature, but also in sportsmanship, has cast a shadow of control and impact over the works and lifestyles of enumerable modern authors and journalists. To deny his clear mastery over the English language would be a malign comparable to that of discrediting Orwell or Faulkner. The influence of the enigma that is Ernest Hemingway will continue to be shown in works emulating his punctual, blunt writing style for years to come.
Throughout the 20th century there were many influential pieces of literature that would not only tell a story or teach a lesson, but also let the reader into the author’s world. Allowing the reader to view both the positives and negatives in an author. Ernest Hemingway was one of these influential authors. Suffering through most of his life due to a disturbingly scarring childhood, he expresses his intense mental and emotional insecurities through subtle metaphors that bluntly show problems with commitment to women and proving his masculinity to others.
Ernest Hemingway was a great American author whom started his career humbly in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the ripe, young age of seventeen. Once the United States joined World War One, Hemingway deemed it fit to join a volunteer ambulance service. During this time Hemingway was wounded, and decorated by the Italian Government for his noble deeds. Once he completely recovered, he made his way back to the United States. Upon his arrival he became a reporter for the American and Canadian newspapers and was sent abroad to cover significant events. For example, he was sent to Europe to cover the Greek revolution. During his early adulthood, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris. This is known as the time in his life in which he describes in two of his novels; A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises the latter of the two being his first work. Hemingway was able to use his experiences of serving in the front during the war and his experience of being with other expatriates after the war to shape both of these novels. He was able to successful write these novels due to his past experience with working for newspapers. His experience with the newspaper seemed to be far more beneficial than just supplying him with an income, with the reporting experience under his belt he also was able to construct another novel that allowed him to sufficiently describe his experiences reporting during the Civil War; For Whom the Bell Tolls. Arguably his most tremendous short novel was a about an old fisherman’s journey and the long, lonely struggle with a fish and the sea with his victory being in defeat.
When a writer picks up their pen and paper, begins one of the most personal and cathartic experiences in their lives, and forms this creation, this seemingly incoherent sets of words and phrases that, read without any critical thinking, any form of analysis or reflexion, can be easily misconstrued as worthless or empty. When one reads an author’s work, in any shape or form, what floats off of the ink of the paper and implants itself in our minds is the author’s personality, their style. Reading any of the greats, many would be able to spot the minute details that separates each author from another; whether it be their use of dialogue, their complex descriptions, their syntax, or their tone. When reading an excerpt of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast one could easily dissect the work, pick apart each significant moment from Hemingway’s life and analyze it in order to form their own idea of the author’s voice, of his identity. Ernest Hemingway’s writing immediately comes across as rather familiar in one sense. His vocabulary is not all that complicated, his layout is rather straightforward, and it is presented in a simplistic form. While he may meander into seemingly unnecessary detail, his work can be easily read. It is when one looks deeper into the work, examines the techniques Hemingway uses to create this comfortable aura surrounding his body of work, that one begins to lift much more complex thoughts and ideas. Hemingway’s tone is stark, unsympathetic, his details are precise and explored in depth, and he organizes his thoughts with clarity and focus. All of this is presented in A Moveable Feast with expertise every writer dreams to achieve. While Hemingway’s style may seem simplistic on the surface, what lies below is a layered...
The Cambridge Companion to Ernest Hemingway; edited by Scott Donaldson; Cambridge U. P.; New York, NY; 1996
Hemingway’s writing style is not the most complicated one in contrast to other authors of his time. He uses plain grammar and easily accessible vocabulary in his short stories; capturing more audience, especially an audience with less reading experience. “‘If you’d gone on that way we wouldn’t be here now,’ Bill said” (174). His characters speak very plain day to day language which many readers wouldn’t have a problem reading. “They spent the night of the day they were married in a Bostan Hotel” (8). Even in his third person omniscient point of view he uses a basic vocabulary which is common to the reader.
Hemingway has a very simple and straightforward writing style however his story lacks emotion. He makes the reader figure out the characters’ feelings by using dialogue. “...
During his life, Ernest Hemingway has used his talent as a writer in many novels, nonfiction, and short stories, and today he is recognized to be maybe "the best-known American writer of the twentieth century" (Stories for Students 243). In his short stories Hemingway reveals "his deepest and most enduring themes-death, writing, machismo, bravery, and the alienation of men in the modern world" (Stories for Students 244).
Born to Dr. Clarence Hemingway and music teacher Grace Hall Hemingway; Ernest Hemingway had abundant mental stimulus for growth throughout his juvenile advances. As early as the seventh grade there are records of his school work that showcase his early affinity for written art; namely one piece that illustrates not only his creativity but also passion for prudence and literature “Class Prophesies” which detailed what he believed his classmates would go on to do in their adult lives (Targeted News Service.) A large collection of Hemingway’s works are in the JFK Library where one could practically observe the development of his writing and style from kindergarten drawings to childhood essays to sonnets and short stories recognized in the literary publication of his high school. Ernest Hemingway embodied the characteristics of a gifted and talented student from a very young age as many would expect from one of the greatest literary minds in history.