Compare And Contrast Hemingway: The Paris Wife

According to Ernest Hemingway´s first wife, Hadley Richardson, “He had writing the way other people had religion” (McLain, 81). During the roaring twenties, Ernest Hemingway met Hadley in Chicago and after a short romance, they got married. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain follows the melodramatic journey these two young adults face in their marriage. They both moved to the ever so sophisticated city of Paris because Hemingway was craving an interesting life so he could write about. The Paris Wife shows how placing your work above everything else will make you lose the people that care about you. Hemingway did not spend much time with his wife, Hadley, while they were living in Paris because he was too busy writing. He first started writing

Hemingway had been called by the editorial he was working with, the Star, to cover a peace conference in Switzerland between Greece and Turkey. He left a few days before Thanksgiving, so he later had the idea of spending Thanksgiving there with Hadley. So Hadley packed up and went over to Ernest´s cupboard and gathered all his manuscripts and packed them in a small suitcase, this would be her surprise for him. Straightaway, she headed to the station and left the small suitcase in her seat. When she came back, the suitcase was gone and she called the policemen. They could not do anything about the missing suitcase. “It´s his work,” exclaimed Hadley as a look of anguish crossed her face (McLain, 132). Her heart was at the right place because it would be a nice surprise for Hemingway to have his original manuscripts so he could keep writing, but instead she lost everything, including Hemingway´s trust. Later on, Hemingway wrote about Hadley,” I once felt so anchored and solid and safe with her, but now I wonder if I could ever trust anyone (McLain, 303).” After Hadley lost Hemingway´s manuscripts, he never trusted her again. He did not trust her again because he had put his work above everything else instead of just forgiving her and moving on. Hemingway did not recognize what had happened was something Hadley did not have any control on, rather, he mortified her and blamed her for

She tells Hemingway she is really happy because she is expecting their baby. Hadley expected Hemingway to be happy for them, or at least happy for her, but he is not. “I´m just finally getting going. Do you really want to ruin it for me?” replies Hemingway (McLain, 139). She later goes on by telling him she is thirty-one and she does not have all the time in the world for having a baby, but he does not seem to care. He tells her, “Life doesn´t often give you more than one shot. I want to take mine now (ibid).” He was being selfish and was only searching to succeed at his work. He was not supporting Hadley, even though she had supported him since the beginning of their marriage. Like moving to Paris so he could have something to write about. She really wanted to have a family, like most women, even though he did not want