The Hemingway’ Way

We have different perspectives on a lot of things and for most…. it’s how to be a man or a hero depending on how you look at it. But it’s not about heroism. It’s the views on how to be a man (at least to me). The Hemingway’ way is different from most writers but it might just be the most influential. That is just my opinion. Out of all his works, we take three stories and one from Tim O’Brien whose work is influenced by the man himself. Our stories all tie in with one another and a trait they all share or the ones we will discuss are bravery/pressure and one look at antiheroism.

Bravery is one main influence amongst Hemingway characters. The old man, Francis Macomber, Curt Lemmings, even Wilson showed great bravery. Certain situations bring out the best and worst of people. Ernest Hemingway did just that in his stories, putting his characters through hard times and seeing how they can overcome bad situations or make the best out of what they are left with. The “Hemingway code” (shown by the fisherman Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea and numerous other stories) involves qualities of stoicism, courage, honor, endurance, and self-control.

The old Man Santiago stayed constant and showed true G. R. I. T. while catching his fish and even when he was attacked by the sharks who wanted his grand prize. Macomber wanted his 2nd chance after his mishap with the lion the day before. He got right to it and said, “I want to go kill a buffalo”. We all know how that ended. Curt Lemmings did something that was uncalled for…. but to him was brave. The American Man showed the opposite of what all Hemingway fans are seeing in these stories.

This character was not a man at all. He is also looked down upon. He wants an abortion and Jig doesn’t. He is saying all the right things to make her feel bad and change her mind but it isn’t working. There are many ways you can attack this topic because it is very touching and serious. With this story it triggers my thoughts and makes me wonder, Is Hemingway against women being in control. He still loves them greatly though. Playing the Antihero isn’t anything anyone wants to play but it happens.

Further more with different stories, novels like The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms are heavily filled by men who are, in Hemingway’s words, “hurt very badly; in the body, mind, and spirit, and also morally. ” In these works, World War I casts a shadow over characters that do not agree in the traditions and values of the nineteenth century or in the goodness of government. However, the Hemingway hero struggles to make his own meaning in a world filled with suspicion and war. The influence of the Hemingway hero can be seen in many of the soldiers and those of Hemingway’s later protagonists.

Hemingway Hero is defined by a special set of characteristics. These characteristics remain essentially the same throughout all of Hemingway’s works. The Hemingway Hero is always courageous, confident, and introspective. He does not let his fears get to him. Hemingway defined the Code Hero as “a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful. ” He measures himself by how well he handles the difficult situations that life throws at him.

In the end, the Code Hero will lose because we are all mortal, but the true measure is how a person faces death. He believes in “Nada,” a Spanish word meaning nothing. One final thing I want to truly go into detail on is how Ernest Hemingway developed his female characters. Some might think he has a thing against women. Perhaps the most debated aspect of his stories is Hemingway’s treatment of female characters. Readers, critics, etc. have arranged Hemingway’s females into categories, splitting them into two groups: the rude ones and the holy.

An overlook of Hemingway’s life and some of his work leads to grasping a better understanding of his depiction of women. By looking at the females in these three novels–The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and for Whom the Bell Tolls–and four short stories–“Up in Michigan,” “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber, ” “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” and “Hills Like White Elephants”(as I talked a little about in paragraph 4) –we can knowledge into Hemingway’s female characters and into the author’s attitude toward them.

In the end, it is quite possible to see Hemingway’s female characters in the same light as we look at his male characters. Wrapping up we know that Hemingway has an interesting way of making people seem a certain way. It really sparks curiosity throughout the mind. Ernest Hemingway is a man with many stories to tell. Hemingway is the man, the man with such an inspiring way to right and to live life.