In the many biographies written about him, Ernest Hemingway has been portrayed as a distant son who harbored a great deal of hatred for his mother. He seems to have held her partly responsible for his father's 1928 suicide and he didn't attend her funeral when she died in June of 1951. However, a new collection of letters show a different side of Hemingway, that of a dutiful son.
Anne and Hilary Hemingway, nieces of Ernest Hemingway, recently gave Middlebury College a large collection of letters written by Ernest Hemingway and his family. The letters show that Hemingway kept in contact with his mother and sent her checks for many years. Hilary Hemingway admitted: "He enjoyed making his image of a tough guy who gave his mom hell," but she also said, "He was a dutiful son. He took very good care of his family."
In addition to the letters, the collection also contains numerous photos of Hemingway and his family. It is expected to take months to catalogue the hundreds of letters and photos. A public opening will take place sometime next year.
"An exhibit of the collection is planned to coincide with the opening of the Donald Everett Axinn '51 Center for Literary and Cultural Studies at Starr Library, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2008."