Ernest Hemingway on Individualism and Self-Realization

¶ … Ernest Hemingway on individualism and self-realization. Specifically, it will discuss several sources, and incorporate information from at least one Roberts and Jacobs short story, poem, or play. Ernest Hemingway embodies his characters with some of his own rugged individualism and search for meaning in life. Many other authors incorporate this theme in their works, because it seems to touch a cord in many readers, who also hope to learn more about themselves as they read and evaluate great fiction.

INDIVIDUALISM AND SELF-REALIZATION Ernest Hemingway often portrayed a bit of himself in his works, because many of his protagonists were rugged individualists who searched for meaning in their lives and in the world around them, just as Krebs does in "Soldier's Home." Unfortunately, many of Hemingway's characters never find the comfort of self-realization, and so they are empty characters that never really find themselves. This self-realization process is also a common theme in many other fictional works, as the examples in this paper clearly indicate.

The "American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language" defines a theme as: "An implicit or recurrent idea; a motif: a theme of powerlessness that runs through the diary; a party with a tropical island theme" Self-realization is often a component of introspection and even loneliness, as Hemingway clearly shows in his short story, "Soldier's Home." The protagonist, Krebs, returns to his small town from World War I a different young man than when he left, and his solitude is a reaction to what he experienced during his time in the war.

His introspection is quite distinct from the introspective kind of loneliness that gives hope, because Krebs' loneliness is self-inflicted, as Hemingway shows here: "He did not want any consequences. He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live along without consequences" (Hemingway #).

He shuts himself off from the rest of the world when he returns to his hometown after the war, because he does not feel he can share his experiences with anyone else, he must keep them inside himself, and this does not lead to final self-realization for Krebs. He understands he is not like other people, and that he cannot love, but he does not really come to understand what is inside himself, and he cannot come to full self-realization.

In contrast, Sammy, the narrator and protagonist of Updike's "A&P," learns much about himself during the duration of the short story. Sammy works in an A&P store as a cashier, and chafes at the antiquated beliefs of his manager, the authority figure of the story. Sammy learns much about himself as the story progresses, and learns he is strong enough to stand up against policies and procedures that do not make any sense. "That's policy for you. Policy is what the kingpins want.

What the others want is juvenile delinquency" (Updike #). Sammy is a typical 19-year-old when the story opens. He does not like his job, and he is learning to flex his muscles against the authority and rigidity of the people who manage his store. However, by the end of the story, Sammy quits his job because of the manager's silly policies. Thus, Sammy comes to the self-realization that he can make decisions, he can see unfairness and speak out about it, and he can take a stand, right or wrong.

Sammy is become an individual, and a self-realized adult, while poor Krebs has been so traumatized, he may never become a real adult who can function in adult society. He is certainly an individual, as most of Hemingway's characters were, but he cannot see inside himself, and so, he is less of a man than Sammy is, even though he has experienced much more of life. Krebs is not an exception - many of Hemingway's characters exude the same masculinity and raw power as he does.

Many believe his novel, "A Farewell to Arms" is really the story of his own life. He uses the theme of war again to show how it irrevocably effects those it touches. "The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially" (Hemingway 249). Hemingway's men are strong, silent, and often deadly.

They are not afraid of death, as their running with the bulls shows in his epic novel, "The Sun Also Rises." One 1943 review said of his characters, "They act like people who have not fully grown up and who lack the self-awareness to realize this; in fact, they possess no desire to grow up" (Farrell 222). This is also quite in keeping with their masculinity, which does not necessarily denote maturity, as their running with the bulls in Pamplona also shows.

Grown, mature men do not need to prove their masculinity by running from bulls, but young men still finding themselves certainly do, and critics recognized this. These are men who are also desperately seeking to understand themselves, but fear the chains of adulthood that come with understanding. Perhaps Hemingway too felt this way, and this is why he embodies his characters with fear and uncertainty, just as Krebs cannot face real adulthood, neither can Hemingway's other heroes.

Authors such as Updike understand the importance of individualism and self-realization, and so does Hemingway, but Hemingway realizes that not everyone can reach the same peak of self-knowledge, and.