In Our Time By Ernest Hemingway

In his Nobel Prize speech, Ernest Hemingway stated that good writers “should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed.” He wanted his writing to outlast time—to establish his own legacy. Hemingway’s short story collection, In Our Time, largely follows the effects of suffering and trauma on the individual, and is exemplificative of his approach to writing. Hemingway develops his distinctive style and crafts his writing to reveal purpose and meaning through syntax, precise diction, and a dedication to the truth.
Hemingway is known for his simplistic, yet thoughtful approach towards syntax. Harry Levin, a Harvard professor, highlights Hemingway’s writing in his work entitled Observations on the Style

In fact, Baker asserts that “no other writer of our time had so fiercely asserted, so pugnaciously defended, or so consistently exemplified the writer's obligation to speak truly” (Baker, 1) while many consider Hemingway’s work “the prose of reality” (Levin, 5). He writes about his own experiences. He writes about the truth. Hemingway often juxtaposes “romantic preconception[s]...with harsh reality” (Levin, 6). Not only is this contrast ironic, but it also highlights the opposition between each notion. A common theme in Hemingway’s work is war; war is often romanticized, but leaves lasting scars. In “Big Two-Hearted River,” Hemingway expresses the effects of war on the individual and how isolation can be used to advance healing. Nick returns home following the war and passes through the demolished town of Seney before setting up camp near the Two-Hearted River. Similar to the scorched town of Seney, Nick is wounded. Nick sees black grasshoppers that“had all turned black from living in the burned-over land.” (Hemingway 136). The grasshoppers are reflective of Nick as well; the war has changed Nick and he wonders if we will be able to truly return to the way things used to. Nick’s physical surroundings are often indicative of his internal or mental states. Both are scarred due to immense trauma, but are still in the process of healing. Hemingway tries to express the brutality and crudeness of life. He believes that “vulgarism is more honest” (Levin, 7) than rhetorically eloquent writing. Simply put, life is not censored. His work reflects what he had experienced and witnessed in life, such as war. Reality is crass and unapologetic—something that Hemingway wishes to encapsulate in his