Ernest Hemingway

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that similar to Ernest Hemingway, who suffered from life-long depression, many American writers, such as William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald, appear to have suffered from some type of mental disorder such as alcoholism, schizophrenia or depression. The author points out that it is quite obvious that Ernest Hemingway utilized his depression as a kind of support mechanism to compose his short stories and novels; however, the question remains as to exactly how depression either led or inspired Hemingway to become such a great American novelist. The paper relates that the literary conflict within "The Old Man and the Sea", as seen in the character of Santiago is, actually Hemingway himself, an old man with great internal struggles based on his need to satisfy his inflated ego, which is in a battle with his depression.

From the Paper:

"One important element of depression is that some people become very neurotic, meaning that they over-react to certain situations which in reality are not that particularly disruptive to ordinary persons. Under certain circumstances, a person suffering from depression may experience vivid hallucinations and delusions that are not real, much like living in a dream state where things and ideas are not tangible nor logically explainable. Those that suffer from major depression often have recurring episodes throughout their lives, yet they may also return to a relatively normal state at any given time."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Ferrell, Keith. Ernest Hemingway: The Search for Courage. New York Evans Publishing Company, 1984.
• Harmon, Robert. Understanding Ernest Hemingway: A Study and Research Guide. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1977.
• Lyttle, Robert B. Ernest Hemingway: The Life and the Legend. New York: Atheneum Press, 1992.
• Nagel, James. Ernest Hemingway: The Writer in Context. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1984.
• Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The Final Years. New York: W.W. Norton, 1999.

More papers on Ernest Hemingway:

• Analytical Essay # 71148 : "Ernest Hemingway"
• Analytical Essay # 126486 : "Ernest Hemingway and Autobiographical Writings"
• Analytical Essay # 133380 : "Ernest Hemingway's "Across the River and into the Trees"
• Analytical Essay # 90678 : "Ernest Hemingway's "In Another Country"

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