To Hemingway, life inflicts such violence and pain that it wounds every man unreasonably. Gerard notices that in his works Theres a fascination with death, violence, survival and something else: a code of conduct, a muting of emotions, understatement as an expression of grace (Gerard, 8). Existentialism is a major component of Hemingway 's fiction. There is focus on the strength and perseverance of the individual, the belief that man create himself, and that there is existence before essence. It 's the responsibility of Hemingway 's characters to create their essence, to make their choices, and to realize that if the world is meaningless. Author John Pidgeon asserts that to Hemingway as an existentialist, love is dangerous since to love is to become vulnerable to fate and thus risking the loss of such a profound connection. To Hemingway loss was inevitable, as something always brought on the end. Love expires through death or disenchantment, fame always dwindles, and youth and vitality disintegrate as time passes. Even though he held these reservations especially toward the idea of love he still held it to be the ultimate aspect of existence. Hemingway once said Love enlarges the scope of the mind, enhances the mental faculties, and gives poise to enthusiasm (Wagner, 22). The world as Hemingway saw it and as he wrote it for his characters was bleak and incoherent. This …show more content…
He was a hunter, fisherman, and connoisseur of bullfights and boxing. He seemed to be the epitome of a man 's man who dared others to seek adventure. He could be shy and diffident as well as an incorrigible braggart. He was insanely proud of his own celebrity and yet still envious and capable of making venomous remarks about other writers. He could be a stoic and fearless warrior, and then be sensitive and quick to tears. He was a generous friend and a ruthless enemy. Ernest Hemingway was a man of action sharing a body with a man of words. These contrasts made Hemingway the distinctive writer he came to be, from his earliest stories to his last published novel, the same illustrious themes and motifs recur time and again, are dealt with by his mysterious code heroes, and articulated in his sparse signature style continue to intrigue readers and writers the world