Hemingway's CodeThe Tyro, the Tutor, and the NADA

Hemingway's Life

● Born in 1899, lived an intentionally adventurous life, seeking out experiences around the world.

● Was an ambulance driver during World War I, and the experience informed how he viewed the world

● Seriously wounded in July of 1918 by mortar fire. He would fall in love with a Red Cross nurse while recuperating, which served as the inspiration for A Farewell to Arms

● After the war, came back to the states, then taking a job as a reporter for The Toronto Star

Hemingway’s Life (cont.)

● In 1921, became a foreign correspondent and moved to Paris● In Paris, Hemingway became part of what Gertrude Stein called the “Lost

Generation”, which included authors F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and James Joyce

● Began to write short stories, and wrote his first novel, The Sun Also Rises● While writing fiction, Hemingway continued to work as a war

correspondent, reporting on the Spanish Civil War and World War II● Hemingway traveled the world, including Africa and the Carribean,

pursuing adventures in big-game hunting and sports fishing● Died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1961● Notable works: For Whom the Bell Tolls, To Have and Have Not, The Old

Man and the Sea (Nobel Prize for Literature)

Hemingway's Style

● Writing style is terse - short, declarative style that is to the point; hard-boiled, almost machine-gun like

● Style developed from his journalistic reporting● Though the style seems simple, there is a lot of subtext left

to the reader to figure out● Think of it like an iceberg: small bit above the water, the

majority below the surface● Main characters are generally men who decide to either

follow or not follow “The Code”

The Hemingway Code

“A man can be destroyed, but not defeated”

-The Old Man and the Sea

● Death is an inevitability without a chance for life after death; there is only nothingness

● Nothingness is given the Spanish word NADA● How one faces death and NADA is what

defines a person● A man is exemplified by his principles of

honor, courage, and endurance● Even when a man dies and is therefore

destroyed, he is not defeated if he kept true to the code

The Hemingway Code Hero (The Tutor) ● The Code Hero (Tutor) is the embodiment of the code● Participates in “manly” activity:

○ great amount of drinking without becoming a “sloppy drunk”○ ability to move from one love affair to another without regret○ manly vocations (e.g. soldier, bullfighter, big game hunter)

● Philosophical maverick - doesn’t adhere to any philosophy, especially religion● Perfectionist - great importance placed on order and discipline● Existentialist - lives with NADA, so lives life to the fullest● Thrill-Seeker - one’s duty is to avoid death at all costs; but, one must not be

afraid to die● Stalwart Friend - loyalty is the most important personal attribute● Doer - actions are more important than words● Virtuoso - always a person with great skill, and always the best at whatever he or

she does

The Hemingway Hero (The Tyro)

● A living, breathing character who is essential to the narrative of the story

● Tries to live up to the ideal represented by the Code hero, and tries to follow the code himself

● Is generally a novice and is confused by the world around him

● Insomniac - night is a symbol of the NADA, so the hero rarely sleeps

● Wounded either physically or mentally; many times it is both

● Fears death and NADA● Often resembles Hemingway himself

Works Cited"Ernest Hemingway." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

"Ernest Hemingway - Biography." Ernest Hemingway - Biography. egs.com. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

Gerber, Rachael. Ernest Hemingway Scholars. El Segundo, 2015. Print.

Gillani, S. N. "English Literature: Hemingway's Hero and Code Hero." English Literature. 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

Young, Philip. Ernest Hemingway; a Reconsideration. [Rev. ed. University Park: Pennsylvania State UP, 1966. Print.