Ernest Hemingway,Ernest Hemingway,WWI,WWI,andand

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms

English 11-2English 11-2AP English Language and CompositionAP English Language and Composition

Hemingway – the Early YearsHemingway – the Early Years Born 1899 in Oak Born 1899 in Oak

Park, IllinoisPark, Illinois Comfortable Comfortable

ChildhoodChildhood Middle Class FamilyMiddle Class Family Father was a doctor, Father was a doctor,

mother was a music mother was a music enthusiast.enthusiast.

Hemingway – the Early YearsHemingway – the Early Years After high school After high school

(1914), attempted to (1914), attempted to enlist in the army enlist in the army

Rejected on account Rejected on account of bad eye sightof bad eye sight

Became a “cub Became a “cub reporter” for the reporter” for the Kansas City StarKansas City Star

Hemingway – WWIHemingway – WWI

In 1917 entered WWIIn 1917 entered WWI Enlisted in the Italian Enlisted in the Italian

Army as an Army as an ambulance driverambulance driver

Critically wounded in Critically wounded in the leg while serving the leg while serving on the Italian fronton the Italian front

Hemingway – WWIHemingway – WWI

Fall of 1918 spent at Red Cross Fall of 1918 spent at Red Cross hospital in Milanhospital in Milan

Rumors of romantic relationship with Rumors of romantic relationship with his nurse, Agnes von Kurowskyhis nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky

Returned to Italian front by the springReturned to Italian front by the spring

Hemingway – WWIHemingway – WWI

While rescuing an Italian soldier, wounded While rescuing an Italian soldier, wounded by German mortarby German mortar

Over 270 pieces of shrapnel pierced his legOver 270 pieces of shrapnel pierced his leg Returned to the States as a decorated war Returned to the States as a decorated war

hero, but lived a restless, disillusioned life hero, but lived a restless, disillusioned life

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

The Generation of 1914 (WWI Generation) The Generation of 1914 (WWI Generation) is often referred to as the Lost Generationis often referred to as the Lost Generation

These men and women volunteered to These men and women volunteered to fight a war – the “Great War,” the “War to fight a war – the “Great War,” the “War to End All Wars”End All Wars”

This war promised glory and honorThis war promised glory and honor

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Past wars were Romantic: hand-to-hand Past wars were Romantic: hand-to-hand combat, man vs. mancombat, man vs. man

Survival was determined by the strength of Survival was determined by the strength of the individualthe individual

WWI destroyed these idealsWWI destroyed these ideals

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Trench warfare, mortars, grenades, and Trench warfare, mortars, grenades, and poison gas replaced the traditional modes poison gas replaced the traditional modes of fightingof fighting

Soldiers rarely saw their enemySoldiers rarely saw their enemy Many killed without a chance to fightMany killed without a chance to fight The strength of the individual became The strength of the individual became

meaninglessmeaningless

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Faith in God was called into question Prayers served no use Men died without warning, and faith could

not save them Shell-shock (PTSD) was the legacy of the

survivors

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Nothing held meaning for these survivorsNothing held meaning for these survivors Belief in themselves failed themBelief in themselves failed them Belief in God failed themBelief in God failed them They led disillusioned livesThey led disillusioned lives

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Hemingway belonged to this generationHemingway belonged to this generation They led restless lives in search of They led restless lives in search of

anything meaningfulanything meaningful They often succumbed to drugs or alcohol They often succumbed to drugs or alcohol

to escape their depression, or sought out to escape their depression, or sought out adventures to give life some temporary adventures to give life some temporary meaning meaning

The Lost GenerationThe Lost Generation

Hemingway created the Code Hero to represent these men

Most of Hemingway’s novels and stories focus on the Code Hero’s attempt to find meaning in a meaningless world

Hemingway’s Code HeroHemingway’s Code Hero

English 11-2English 11-2AP English Language and CompositionAP English Language and Composition

A Farewell to ArmsA Farewell to Arms

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

Hemingway focused his novels Hemingway focused his novels around code heroes who struggle around code heroes who struggle with the mixture of their tragic faults with the mixture of their tragic faults and their surrounding environment. and their surrounding environment.

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

Traits of a typical Hemingway Code Hero Traits of a typical Hemingway Code Hero are a love of good times, stimulating are a love of good times, stimulating surroundings, and strict moral rules, surroundings, and strict moral rules, including honesty.including honesty.

The Code Hero always exhibits some form The Code Hero always exhibits some form of physical wound that serves as his tragic of physical wound that serves as his tragic flaw and the weakness of his character. flaw and the weakness of his character.

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

Hemingway defined the Code Hero as Hemingway defined the Code Hero as "a man who lives correctly, following "a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful."  and always painful." 

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

The Code Hero measures himself by The Code Hero measures himself by how well he handles the difficult how well he handles the difficult situations that life throws at him. situations that life throws at him.

In the end the Code Hero will always In the end the Code Hero will always lose because we are all mortal, but the lose because we are all mortal, but the true measure is how he faces death.  true measure is how he faces death. 

The Code HeroThe Code HeroThe Code Hero believes in "Nada," a The Code Hero believes in "Nada," a

Spanish word meaning nothing. Spanish word meaning nothing. The Nada Principle questions the The Nada Principle questions the

existence of an afterlife – Death will existence of an afterlife – Death will bring utter darkness.bring utter darkness.

If there is no life after death, then life If there is no life after death, then life becomes meaningless.becomes meaningless.

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

The Code Hero is typically The Code Hero is typically individualistic and free-willed. individualistic and free-willed.

Although he believes in the ideals of Although he believes in the ideals of courage and honor, he has his own courage and honor, he has his own set of morals and principles based on set of morals and principles based on his beliefs in honor, courage and his beliefs in honor, courage and endurance.endurance.

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

A Code Hero never shows emotions; A Code Hero never shows emotions; showing emotions and having a showing emotions and having a commitment to women shows commitment to women shows weakness. weakness.

Qualities such as bravery, Qualities such as bravery, adventurousness, and love for travel adventurousness, and love for travel also define the Code Hero.  also define the Code Hero. 

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

A final trait of the Code Hero is his A final trait of the Code Hero is his dislike of the dark. It symbolizes death dislike of the dark. It symbolizes death and is a source of fear for him (Nada and is a source of fear for him (Nada Principle). Principle).

The Code HeroThe Code Hero

The rite of manhood for the Code The rite of manhood for the Code Hero is facing death. Hero is facing death.

However, once he faces death bravely However, once he faces death bravely and becomes a man, he must and becomes a man, he must continue the struggle, constantly continue the struggle, constantly proving himself in order to retain his proving himself in order to retain his manhood.manhood.