Ernest Hemingway has a destinctive voice. In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway speaks with a subtle yet alluring tone. The words are not excessively descriptive nor profound, which is exactly the cause of the fluidity of his text. When novelists focus on intense moments, they employ precise and forceful words, yet Hemingway uses concise and simple words to expand on thoughts in The Sun Also Rises. Not only are the adjectives in The Sun Also Rises vague, so are the adverbs (or the lack thereof). Very seldom does one find adverbs in Hemingway's sentences, yet the novel retains a profound feeling.
The remaining effect of using simple language is that the reader is free to interpret the sequence of events on a deeper personal level. With the lack of descriptive words, the imagination is set free to wander on a broader range of possibilities and Hemingway is especially effective at enforcing this because he is simple and straightforward in writing. The manner of speaking is so down to earth (perhaps contrast The Sun Also Rises with Mrs. Dalloway to get a better sense of Hemingway's ability in speaking with simple language while at the same time, capturing such a broad picture) that it makes it easy for the reader to catch the small details which make the story so rich. For example, in The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway is able to make a three dimensional character without even talking to the reader. The simple thoughts that pass through Jake Barnes' mind (the protagonist in The Sun Also Rises), such as the snyde, yet seemingly unintentional comments about Jake's Jewish "friend" Robert Cohn, are perfect examples of how Hemingway employs simple language, which helps the reader create his/her personal image of each character (especially of Jake) of how they act and think.
Even without the eloquent words that scholars throw around, Hemingway is able to construct a vivid novel. Perhaps he sought to play with the reader's mind by having them be the ones who build the characters while he acts just as a messenger of events.
1 comment:
I find this design--with the grey text against a largely grey background--extremely difficult to read (although I do like the background image itself--maybe a darker typeface?).
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