Ernest Hemingway, one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. His life, often intertwined with the major events of his time, greatly influenced his literary work, with themes such as war, love, masculinity, and loss prevalent throughout. Hemingway’s distinctive minimalist style and the emotional depth of his characters have cemented his place as a literary giant.
Early Life and World War I
Hemingway’s early years were shaped by his adventurous spirit and love for the outdoors, instilled by his parents. His father, a physician, taught him to hunt, fish, and appreciate nature, experiences that would later permeate his writing. After graduating high school, Hemingway worked briefly as a journalist before World War I changed the trajectory of his life.
In 1918, at age 18, Hemingway volunteered to serve in World War I as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross on the Italian front. He was severely wounded in July of that year when a mortar shell exploded near him, shattering his knee and leaving shrapnel embedded in his body. Despite his injuries, he managed to carry an injured Italian soldier to safety, earning him the Italian Silver Medal of Valor. His experiences during the war deeply scarred him and would later shape his writing, particularly his novel A Farewell to Arms (1929).
Influence of War on “A Farewell to Arms”
Hemingway’s personal experiences in World War I formed the backbone of A Farewell to Arms, a story set during the Italian campaign of the war. The novel’s protagonist, Lieutenant Frederic Henry, closely mirrors Hemingway’s own experiences as a soldier wounded in Italy. The story of Henry’s doomed love affair with an English nurse, Catherine Barkley, reflects Hemingway’s own brief romance with Agnes von Kurowsky, a nurse he met during his convalescence. The novel presents the brutality and futility of war, alongside the fragility of love in a world torn apart by violence. It was hailed as one of the greatest war novels, bringing Hemingway significant literary fame.
Hemingway’s Love for Spain and Bullfighting
After the war, Hemingway worked as a foreign correspondent for various newspapers, and in the 1920s, he moved to Paris, where he became part of the “Lost Generation” of expatriate writers. His travels took him to Spain, where he developed a deep love for the country’s culture, especially bullfighting. Hemingway was fascinated by the ritualistic nature of the bullfight, which he viewed as an embodiment of courage, honor, and death. He expressed this fascination in his non-fiction work Death in the Afternoon (1932), a detailed exploration of the art and meaning of bullfighting. Spain became a second home for Hemingway, and his experiences there influenced much of his later work.
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” and the Spanish Civil War
Hemingway’s love for Spain extended to its people and politics. He was drawn to the country’s complex social and political climate, especially during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Hemingway worked as a journalist covering the war, and his sympathies lay with the Republican forces fighting against the fascist regime of General Francisco Franco. The brutality of the war and its impact on Spain inspired his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), which tells the story of Robert Jordan, an American dynamiter who fights with the Republican guerillas. The novel reflects Hemingway’s deep empathy for the people caught in the conflict and his disillusionment with the horrors of war. It is considered one of his most powerful works, highlighting the themes of duty, sacrifice, and the inevitability of death.
Hemingway and War: World War II
Hemingway’s relationship with war did not end with the Spanish Civil War. During World War II, he worked as a correspondent and was present during several significant events, including the D-Day landings in Normandy and the liberation of Paris. His love of adventure and his desire to be in the heart of the action were evident, though his involvement in World War II took a toll on his health and psyche. He later channeled his wartime experiences into short stories and novels.
Hemingway’s Struggles and Suicide
Hemingway’s later life was marked by physical and mental decline. He suffered from multiple health issues, including high blood pressure, liver disease, and severe depression, exacerbated by heavy drinking and several accidents. His mental health deteriorated rapidly in the 1950s. Hemingway was also deeply affected by the deaths of close friends and the political tensions of the Cold War era, which left him feeling increasingly paranoid and isolated.
Despite receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 for his body of work, including The Old Man and the Sea (1952), Hemingway struggled to write and maintain the vibrant life he once enjoyed. He became overwhelmed by his physical ailments and emotional turmoil, and after several failed attempts at treatment for his depression, including electroshock therapy, Hemingway took his own life on July 2, 1961, at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
Legacy
Hemingway left behind a complex legacy. He was a literary innovator, known for his spare, unadorned prose and for his portrayal of complex emotional landscapes beneath the surface of simple, straightforward language. His writing style has influenced countless writers, and his themes of masculinity, existential courage, and the destructive nature of war continue to resonate with readers around the world.
Hemingway’s larger-than-life persona, marked by his love of adventure, bullfighting, big-game hunting, and war, helped shape the myth of the “Hemingway hero,” a stoic figure confronting the absurdities of life with grace under pressure. Yet, his personal struggles with mental health and his tragic end highlight the vulnerability behind that persona.
Hemingway’s works, including A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea, remain classics of American literature, and his influence extends beyond the written word, shaping perceptions of heroism, conflict, and the human condition in the 20th century.
His life and work serve as a testament to the power of personal experience in shaping art, but also a cautionary tale about the toll such experiences can take on the human spirit.
-Lê Nguyễn Thanh Phương-