Hemingway's Theme of Love

Ernest Hemingway often dealt with themes of love and sex in his novels and short stories. In his work, he explored the various aspects of love and sex, including sexual initiation, sexual guilt, falling in love, falling out of love, and accepting the responsibilities of love. In his changing concept of love, Hemingway was especially attracted to the relationship which exists between sexual love and death. Thus, many of his fictional works provide an "exploration of the relationship between passion and destruction, love and death" (McDowell 52). In this regard, loss of love and inability to love are also important themes in Hemingway's work.

Hemingway's first important novel, The Sun Also Rises, is directly concerned with the inability to love. The story centers around Jake Barnes, an American journalist who is living in Paris during the 1920's. Jake is in love with an Englishwoman named Brett Ashley. However, Jake feels that he is not able to express his love for Brett because he has a war wound which has left him sexually impotent. In this way, it can be seen that Jake has confused the concept of sexual love with that of emotional love. Although he is impotent, Jake could probably develop a meaningful relationship with Brett. The two of them could perhaps find a higher form of love which transcends his physical limitations. However, this type of love is impossible for both Jake and Brett. It is impossible for Jake because he thinks that he cannot really love s

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e water, and he feels the warmth of the water on his hand in contrast to "the sharp chill of the morning" (Hemingway Short Stories 70). Finally, Hemingway states that Nick "felt quite sure that he would never die" (Hemingway Short Stories 70). Thus, as in A Farewell to Arms, the inherent tragedy of birth and death serves as a means for confirming life. Birth and death, as well as love and sex, frequently cause people to experience pain. The most troubling thing of all is the fact that all people who are born must inevitably die. However, once this fact is accepted, it is possible for a person to move on and to enjoy life while it lasts. Other stories by Hemingway deal with the theme of rejection in love. This theme is expressed, for example, in "Ten Indians." This story again centers around Nick Adams and his father, and also concerns a young Indian girl named Prudence Mitchell. Nick is in love with "Prudie," even though he tries to deny it with his friends. Nick refuses to acknowledge that he has a girlfriend, yet it is noted that he "felt hollow and happy inside himself to be teased about Prudence Mitchell" (Hemingway Short Stories 254). In this way, Hemingway expresses Nick's love for Prudie as seen through the eyes

Category: Literature - H