On 21 July 1899, Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. Over the course of the 20th century, he would go on to become one of the most influential and celebrated writers in modern literature, renowned for his distinctive prose style, larger-than-life persona, and deep impact on both literature and popular culture.
Early life and background
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born into a well-educated, upper-middle-class family. His father, Clarence Hemingway, was a physician, and his mother, Grace Hall Hemingway, was a music teacher. From a young age, Hemingway was exposed to both cultural pursuits and outdoor activities, particularly hunting and fishing—interests that would later become central themes in his writing.
After graduating from high school in 1917, Hemingway began his career as a journalist. He worked briefly for The Kansas City Star, where he adopted the newspaper’s writing guidelines—short sentences, short paragraphs, active verbs—which heavily influenced his literary style.
War and writing
During World War I, Hemingway volunteered as an ambulance driver for the Red Cross in Italy. He was seriously wounded in 1918, an experience that left a lasting mark on his psyche and writing. His wartime service became the basis for several of his works, including the acclaimed novel A Farewell to Arms (1929).
In the post-war years, Hemingway moved to Paris, where he joined the so-called Lost Generation of expatriate writers and artists, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. His time in Paris was formative, both personally and professionally.
Literary career and notable works
Hemingway’s first major success came with The Sun Also Rises (1926), a novel that captured the disillusionment of the post-WWI generation. Over the next three decades, he produced a remarkable body of work that includes:
- A farewell to arms (1929) – A tragic love story set against the backdrop of World War I.
- For whom the bell tolls (1940) – A powerful narrative based on Hemingway’s experiences as a journalist during the Spanish Civil War.
- The old man and the sea (1952) – A novella about an ageing Cuban fisherman’s epic struggle with a marlin, for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1953.
In 1954, Hemingway received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style.”
Style and influence
Hemingway’s writing style—often referred to as the Iceberg Theory or theory of omission—favoured sparse prose, direct speech, and understatement. This minimalist approach had a profound influence on generations of writers, from Raymond Carver to Joan Didion.
Beyond literature, Hemingway’s themes of courage, stoicism, and masculinity influenced cinema, with many of his works adapted into major films. For whom the bell tolls, A farewell to arms, and The old man and the sea were all made into acclaimed movies, further cementing his place in popular culture.
Later life and death
Hemingway’s later years were marked by physical and mental health struggles, compounded by alcoholism and the trauma of two plane crashes in Africa in 1954. He also suffered from depression and was treated with electroconvulsive therapy. Tragically, on 2 July 1961, Hemingway took his own life at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
Legacy
Ernest Hemingway remains a towering figure in 20th-century literature. His works are widely studied, translated, and read around the world. His portrayal of human endurance, emotional restraint, and the fragility of life continues to resonate with readers and writers alike. On this day, we remember the birth of a literary giant whose contribution to global literature endures to this day.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Celebrating Nikola Tesla (1856) and Marcel Proust (1871)
