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Influential American novelist and short story writer of the 20th century

Core Idea: Ernest Hemingway was a Nobel Prize-winning American writer whose economical and understated style had a profound influence on 20th-century literature, particularly his "iceberg theory" where the deeper meaning lies beneath the surface of sparse prose.

Key Elements

Biographical Context

• Born July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois
• Worked as a journalist and foreign correspondent before literary success
• Participated in both World War I (as ambulance driver) and Spanish Civil War
• Lived in Paris, Spain, Cuba, and Key West at different periods
• Died by suicide on July 2, 1961, in Ketchum, Idaho

Literary Style

• Iceberg Theory: Writing that shows only the surface while suggesting deeper meaning beneath
• Economic prose: Direct, simple language with minimal adjectives
• Understated dialogue: Conversations that convey emotion through what is unsaid
• Authentic experiences: Drawing from personal adventures and observations
• Masculine themes: Courage, honor, stoicism, and facing mortality

Key Works

• Novels:

  • "The Sun Also Rises" (1926)
  • "A Farewell to Arms" (1929)
  • "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (1940)
  • "The Old Man and the Sea" (1952)

• Short Stories:

  • "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
  • "Hills Like White Elephants"
  • "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"
  • "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber"

Writing Process

• The Hemingway Bridge: Stopping work when he knew what came next to maintain momentum
• Morning writing routine: Working early to avoid distractions
• Standing desk: Often wrote standing up
• Obsessive revision: Claimed to have rewritten the ending to "A Farewell to Arms" 39 times
• Handwritten drafts: Initial composition by hand before typing

Cultural Impact

• Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)
• Profound influence on minimalist writing style
• Created the archetype of the adventurous writer-celebrity
• Popularized locations like Paris' Left Bank, Pamplona, and Key West
• Contributed phrases to American lexicon like "grace under pressure"

Additional Connections

• Broader Context: Modernist Literature (literary movement Hemingway was part of)
• Applications: Iceberg Theory (his influential writing technique)
• See Also: F. Scott Fitzgerald (contemporary and friend), Lost Generation (post-WWI expatriate writers)

References

1. Baker, Carlos. "Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story" (1969)
2. Reynolds, Michael. "The Young Hemingway" (1986)
3. Hemingway, Ernest. "A Moveable Feast" (posthumous memoir, 1964)

#literature #american-writers #modernism #20th-century #nobel-laureates

Connections:

Sources:

• From: Hemingway Bridge