In Our Time By Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway wanted his writing to outlast time and establish his own legacy. In his Nobel Prize speech, Ernest Hemingway states that great writers “should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed” (Hemingway 17). Hemingway focused on the perception of the reader and sought to bring depth to his work through a minimalist approach to using language. He often utilizes the iceberg principle which is a “theory of omission” coined by Hemingway. Through this technique, the depth or true meaning of a story is to be inferred by the reader—similar to how only the tip of an iceberg is visible above the water, while its bulk lies unseen beneath the surface. Hemingway’s short story collection, In Our Time, exemplifies this method. Hemingway develops his distinctive style and crafts his writing to reveal purpose and meaning through thoughtful syntax, precise
In the story “Indian Camp” from In Our Time, Hemingway implies that there was an affair between Uncle George and the pregnant Indian woman: “Ought to have a look at the proud father. They’re usually the worst sufferers in these little affairs” (Hemingway 18). Hemingway reveals that George is the father of the baby, exhibits the role of the iceberg principle. The word “affair,” especially in the context of a pregnancy, has a negative connotation—one that implies that an adulterous relationship has been consummated. Furthermore, Uncle George is always close textually when the father of the baby is mentioned within the story. The reader can also infer that the husband of the Indian wife kills himself because he can tell that the child is not his. Nothing in Hemingway’s writing is unintentional; every element is “artfully chosen [and] has its meaningful place” (Levin, 4). Nothing is accidental. Every word and nuance is a vital elements of his writing; they create depth and strengthen the meaning of the