Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway was an extremely important author in American Literature. His simple yet rebellious style of writing set him apart from other authors of the time, making him an instant success. His own personality and interests showed through his work, which created some of the most famous books (Burdick). Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, on July 21, 1899, as a second child to his parents, Grace and Clarence. The family lived a very normal life, enjoying family activities and vacations often (Young 1). However, his mother would pretend that he and his older sister were twins, even going as far as holding his sister back a grade in order for them to be in the same class together and dressing …show more content…
Unfortunately, he didn't pass the actual military test due to his bad eyesight, but his persistent personality landed him a job as an ambulance driver. One day, he was hit with debris from an attack, and was left seriously injured. While recovering, he fell in love with his nurse, Agnes Von Kurowsky (Burdick). They would soon break up, however, which would set the tone for the rest of his love life. He would later go through various breakups and divorces, in part due to his alcoholism. With a total of 4 wives, he had 3 sons …show more content…
In “A Farewell to Arms”, He writes about his own experience as an ambulance driver who falls in love with his nurse, under the name of Frederick Henry. In “The Old Man and the Sea”, an old fisherman tells his story about his challenging clash with a huge Marlin fish (Cooperman). Even once he was an esteemed writer himself, he often felt threatened by other authors. He found himself in many rivalries, most likely due to his sharp comments and criticism behind their backs. However, Hemingway had his share of bad press, too, especially when he placed himself as the main character of a story. Critics complained that Hemingway was too self absorbed and stated his works were becoming silly and pointless (Burdick). In total, he wrote 14 books total, 7 being novels during his career