Ernest Hemingway and Masculinity Essay - 2243 Words

Ernest Hemingway and Masculinity Ernest Hemingway, viewed as an American hero of his time, wrote novels that enrich the minds of his readers, creating a lasting image that goes far beyond the actual content of the story. But while reading Hemingway, I learned that his style was far from complex. Through pre-meditated sentence structure, he creates a rhythm that parallels the action in the story. He wants the sentences themselves to be easy to understand, so the reader can use more energy focusing on the symbolism Hemingways stories create. He skillfully places symbols and metaphors throughout his novels. In his own writing, Hemingway doesnt explain in detail his metaphors. Rather, he forces the reader to discover the†¦show more content†¦He compares sexually ability as a part of the masculine man. By having his main character Jake Barnes impotent, Hemingway depicts a loss of masculinity that is common throughout his novels. He also contrasts men and women who hold onto their masculinity and men who lose it. Through his metaphors Hemingway uses empathy to draw the reader closer to the characters as they feel for their suffering. War, usually thought of as a masculine fight for glory, is reversed in Hemingways writings. Instead of men showing their masculinity, he portrays a war that takes away mens masculinity through injuries that deprive them the rest of their lives. Truly, A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls force the reader to question the need for sacrificing a mans life for a war. Is war worth dying over? The reader should note Robert Jordans suicide mission in trying to make this decision for himself. Jordan understood that there was little hope of survival, and he cringed at the thought of not getting to live out his life with his new love Maria. But in the end, he takes the heroes path and blows up the bridge, which costs him his life. Not only did Jordans efforts go in vain, since the bridge was far behind enemy lines and didnt do much damage to the movement of the Fascists, but Jordans allies, the Spanish Republic, never made the offensive. The tragic death of Jordan leaves the reader wondering,Show MoreRelatedEssay On Masculinity In Ernest Hemingway By Ernest Hemingway1140 Words   |  5 Pageswith her (Hemingway 50). Jake recognizes the need to be tolerant however, the admission of being offended by the gay gentleman tells it all. His unreasonable hatred possibly comes from his view of the gentleman as unmanly, demonstrating his doubts regarding his own masculinity. Consequently, the author applies Jake’s dislike for Cohn’s weak masculinity and his response of hatred concerning Brett’s homosexual buddies to disclose his concern around his individual masculinity (Hemingway 90). Jake assumesRead MoreExamples Of Masculinity In The Sun Also Rises By Ernest Hemingway1204 Words   |  5 PagesMasculinity has become a vague term, but when people think of the word they think of the qualities generally associated with men. Well so did Ernest Hemingway back in 1962 when he wrote The Sun Also Rises. Ernest Hemingway was an amazing writer and he was one of the people who believed that guys should be masculine and girls should be feminine. His novel The Sun Also rises is a good example of this. In The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway shows us what he thought the definition of masculinity wasRead MoreThe Theme Of Masculinity In The Short Happy Life Of Ernest Hemingway1689 Words   |  7 PagesHow can Hemingway make the themes in the books based on his experiences and thoughts? 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In other words, the problems that the characters experience, are both internalized but also externalizedRead MoreOppression Of Women Essay1141 Words   |  5 PagesTexts: â€Å"Indian Camp†, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† and â€Å"The Killers† by Ernest Hemingway Introduction: Hemingway uses gender oppression towards women specifically in order to make the ideality of masculinity appear more pristine. He creates a society where men are superior to women by insulting and nullifying them even when the reader is aware of a female character’s presence. Key Ideas Lack of Information: In â€Å"Indian Camp†, Hemingway disregards the only female character’s name and identity, he alsoRead More Ernest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity Essay1169 Words   |  5 PagesErnest Hemingway’s Portrayal of Masculinity When thinking of masculinity in literature, one author has who has become synonymous with manliness comes to mind, Ernest Hemingway. Critics have spent countless hours studying his writing in order to gain insight into his world of manly delights, including his views on sex, war, and sport. His views can be seen through his characters, his themes and even his style of writing. The characters in Hemingway’s stories reveal much about how he feelsRead MoreThroughout the 20th century there were many influential pieces of literature that would not only1200 Words   |  5 Pagesthe 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 born on July 21, 1899, in Cicero, Illinois. 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Hemingway argues that the Lost Generation suffered immensely after World War I because of severe problems with masculinity, alcohol, and love. Masculinity creates a strong tension amongst the male characters in The Sun Also Rises. The clearest example is the impotency of theRead MoreErnest Hemingways Writing1004 Words   |  5 PagesEarnest Hemingway’s work gives a glimpse of how people deal with their problems in society. He conveys his own characteristics through his simple and â€Å"iceberg† writing style, his male characters’ constant urge to prove their masculinity. 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. â€Å"‘If you’d