Themes in Ernest Hemingway's Short Stories
Ernest Hemingway has many themes that are apparent in his stories. My personal favorite is irony. Ernest Hemingway uses many examples of irony as a vessel to send a message. For example, The Undefeated was a story about a man named Manuel who felt like (or had delusions that) he was once a legendary bullfighter. However, as all evidence suggests (the crowd not cheering and him taking 5 swings with his sword to bring a bull down) he was never that way.
While irony may be my personal favorite, another huge factor (and what made him famous) was the minimalist way in which he wrote. Also known as the iceberg theory, Hemingway writes as little as he possibly can (1/8) to convey his message and leaves the rest (7/8) up to the reader. He writes all of his stories in this way, enabling long, 40+ minute conversations about 6 words. Being able to manipulate words in such a manner is truly masterful.
I agree that Hemingway's use of the iceberg theory adds depth and interest to the story. There is also a recurring theme of characters who don't have much potential anymore. However, in the example of the Undefeated, I believe his use of irony is less to send a message and more to simply help us understand the character better. His view of himself as a good bullfighter give insight to his backstory and who he used to be.
ReplyDeleteI find your thoughts about irony and the iceberg theory interesting. I believe that especially the irony used are things that he experienced in his own life and things of his own time. I do agree that Hemingway's minimalist writing style is masterful, and is helped by irony used. One example I believe works is the cigar in Indian Camp, which gives us another side of the story by showing us that Nicks uncle might be the father of the Indian baby without directly telling us.
ReplyDeleteI think that in the Undefeated, the title was the more ironic part of the story rather than Manuel's actual bullfighting experience. And where else do you think Hemingway could have used irony - maybe include that in your post? Also, I agree with your comment about Hemingway's minimalist prowess in his writing, as we really did have a near 40 minute discussion in the many interpretations of a 6 word story.
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