Ernest Hemingway FAQ: Section 7
 How do I analyze Hemingway's
view of masculinity in works like A Farewell to Arms, "The End of Something," "Cat in the Rain," and "Hills Like White Elephants"?
 In order to
define the degree of masculinity in Hemingway's men, I believe it's important to first define the degree of feminine influence as perceived through the relational
experience between the characters. Examine the relationships and interactions between Frederic and Catherine, Nick and Marjorie, the husband and American wife, and Jig and
the American man. Is the female character given an identity in the midst of her relationship with the man? If she is lacking an identity, does this help to enhance the male's masculine
identity? In Hemingway, masculinity is often achieved through some act of negation, though there was first the desire for unity with the female (usually sexual unity), the want
of relationship, even if just for experience sake. What exactly is the male negating in the stories you mention above? Does his negation cause him to maintain/restore his masculinity?
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What symbolism is present in "The End of Something"?
The most prevalent symbol in
"The End of Something" is the destroyed lumber mill, which represents Nick and Marjorie's soon-to-be destroyed relationship. As they row past the mill, Marjorie remarks that it reminds
her of a castle. Nick says nothing to this. Hemingway feels it unnecessary to explain Marjorie's allusion to the castle, that this is most likely the way she views her relationship with Nick,
as a well defended fortress incapable of destruction. He is also not tempted to analyze why Nick doesn't respond. He simply uses Marjorie's allusion and Nick's lack of response to connect
the future fate of their relationship with the past fate of the mill, one of ultimate ruin. This is Hemingway's "theory of omission" in practice.
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Did any real life event trigger Hemingway's story, "Hills Like White Elephants"?
We must always be wary
of our attempts to align the life with the fiction. This is especially true when one undertakes the study of Hemingway. Hemingway's genius lies in his ability to invent from his
experience and knowledge. It is through this invention that he succeeds in creating for the reader some of the most memorable persons, places, and episodes in all of American literature.
If you must have a real life prototype for the short story, "Hills Like White Elephants," Carlos Baker provides one in his book, Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story. See "Stages in the
planning of 'Men Without Women'" in Notes, page 595 (hardcover edition).
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What are a few characteristics of Hemingway's writing style?
Below are some characteristics:
- Stark minimalist nature
- Grade school-like grammar
- Austere word choice
- Unvarnished descriptions
- Short, declarative sentences
- Uses language accessible to the common reader
Hemingway is a master of dialogue. It's not so much that he is recreating precisely how individuals speak, but through his brilliant use of repetition, he is able to
make the reader remember what has been said. Hemingway's style of writing was probably most influenced by his early work as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star. There he was forced
to adhere to a stylebook for young reporters, which included the following advice: "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English, not forgetting to strive for
smoothness. Be positive, not negative."
Hemingway's words are essentially just words like any other words, but the way he stirs them together is his own unique formula, a stylistic recipe that no other writer has been able to recreate. There are
sentences that only Hemingway could get away with because we know that Hemingway wrote them. Take this short sentence from For Whom the Bell Tolls: "He was dead and that was all." This is and always will be a
Hemingway sentence. For a reader to immediately recognize that "Hemingway wrote this" by reading the words alone is a remarkable legacy for a writer to leave.
Hemingway is truly alive in his words because his words are truly his. His style is uniquely his. This is what makes him a writer in the truest sense.
For articles and books that discuss Hemingway's distinctive writing style, see the
Ernest Hemingway Bibliography.
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What is the extent of Jake's injury in Hemingway's novel, The Sun Also Rises?
This question
has caused considerable confusion among readers throughout the years mainly due to the fact that Hemingway never explicitly states the extent of Jake's injury.
We know that Jake is sexually impaired due to an injury he has sustained during the war. Jake can still desire sexually, but apparently has no means of consummating
his powerful urges. The promiscuous Brett, on the other hand, is more than able to consummate her sexual desires, though not with the man she truly loves. The Sun Also Rises is the
harrowing love story of a man who can't get any and a woman who can't get enough.
Hemingway probably best explains Jake's condition (or the inspiration for Jake's condition) in a 1951 letter he wrote Thomas Bledsoe. The letter is reprinted
in Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters 1917-1961 edited by Carlos Baker, pages 743-746.
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What symbolism is present in A Farewell to Arms?
Rain in Hemingway is often indicative
of rebirth or death, occasionally a mixture of both. It could also be representative of transition and change. It can bring replenishment and nurture life, but in large amounts, in over excess, it can
bring suffocation and death. How might such symbolisms apply to A Farewell to Arms?
What about symbolisms in the first chapter of the novel? How is the time frame of events being established,
(the passing of seasons, etc.)? When Hemingway writes that the troops wore bulging capes making them look like pregnant
women, what might he be foreshadowing? What contradictions do we see emerging between the mountains and the plains?
What is Hemingway setting us up for?
For further discussions on symbolisms in A Farewell to Arms, see Ernest Hemingway: Critiques of Four Major Novels edited by Carlos Baker, in
particular Charles R. Anderson's essay, "Hemingway's Other Style" and Carlos Baker's essay, "The Mountain and the Plain."
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What is Pilar's role in For Whom the Bell Tolls?
Pilar is one of Hemingway's strongest female
characters. Many have characterized her as "the real leader of the guerrilla band." Pablo may hold that title at
the beginning of the novel, but as the novel progresses, Pilar's authoritative stature becomes more and more evident.
Pilar is a rather contradicting figure. On the one hand, existing in male-dominated culture, she is fully domesticated,
expert in her knowledge on how to perform traditional womanly duties. On the other hand, she is not entirely complaisant
or silent willed. She will not hesitate to speak her mind nor will she hesitate to take up arms and fight with the men.
She also has enough military sense to lead a group of male soldiers.
Pilar is an advocate of the Republican movement at the beginning of the novel. Do her feelings change towards the
end of the novel? Why? What is Pilar fighting for? Who is she fighting for? Herself? The Republic? Pablo? How do her
feelings for Pablo change throughout the novel?
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Where can I find summaries of Hemingway's novels?
Try Masterplots
edited by Frank N. Magill. You should be able to find this collection in the reference room of a large library, preferably a college or university library. Masterplots has become
very popular with college and graduate students alike. It provides accurate plot summaries, which are occasionally accompanied by a short commentary of critical opinion on the particular novel.
Abraham Lass's A Student's Guide to 50 American Novels is another option. Though a bit dated, it has plot summaries for The Sun Also Rises,
A Farewell to Arms, and The Old Man and the Sea.
Charles M. Oliver's Ernest Hemingway A to Z: The Essential Reference to the Life and Work has detailed plot summaries not only for all of Hemingway's novels, but also his short stories.
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What is the main plot of "Big Two-Hearted River"?
Nick, the only character in this two-part
story, has come by train to do some fishing and camping in Seney, Michigan. As the story progresses, the reader gets the sense that Nick is trying to escape from some inner psychological dilemma, which is never
described. Certain activities Nick partakes in (constructing his tent, fixing his breakfast, threading his fishing rod) Hemingway gives great detail to as if to further emphasize Nick's desire to escape.
Nick's focused attention on these activities helps him to forget what he has come here to the river to forget. However, the swamp serves as a constant reminder of what Nick fears and dreads. Will Nick overcome his
psychological trauma? The concluding sentence of the story gives the impression that Nick will overcome.
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What is the main plot of "The Three Day Blow"?
Nick visits the cottage of his friend
Bill and over a bottle of whisky (and later scotch), the two friends partake in a discussion concerning baseball, literature, fathers, and finally Nick's recent breakup with girlfriend Marge (see Hemingway's short story,
"The End of Something"). Bill insists that his friend is better off now and implies that Marjorie is and never will be good enough for Nick. The narrator repetitiously alerts us to Nick's lack of response throughout
Bill's rather pessimistic discourse on marriage.
As the liquor looses its placating effect, Nick begins to confront the painful reality of his breakup with Marge. He
acknowledges how everything ended so suddenly, as the wind will end suddenly after its three day blow. Yet there is always
the possibility that the wind will return and blow again, as there is the possibility that Nick will again see Marge.
This lessens the absolute finality of the situation and makes Nick feel happy. So happy that he begins to make other plans.
He might go into town Saturday night. Perhaps in town he will see Marge. Perhaps he won't, but the possibility of seeing
her exists, as does the possibility that their relationship can be salvaged.
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