Ernest Hemingway’s career as a writer grew during his years in Paris. The first chapters of this paper try to recapitulate the development of expatriation to Paris. What were the reasons for people, especially artists, to move to the European city and how did Hemingway himself find his way to Paris?
Furthermore, this paper wants to show how Hemingway represents the city in his writings. Three different genres will be discussed throughout the analysis to create a balanced overview of the representation of Paris. Hemingway’s debut novel "The Sun Also Rises" shows Paris in Hemingway’s fiction. The author’s memoir "A Moveable Feast" offers a more psychological approach to Paris, whereas a selection of his articles for the Toronto "Star" work as a realistic documentation of life in Paris. What are the differences of the portrayal of Paris in these genres? Is his passion towards the city visible in every work? This paper will also try to answer the question whether Hemingway represents the whole city of Paris or if the author emphasizes on the parts of Paris dominated by the American expatriates, which were mostly on the Left Bank of the Seine.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The development of expatriation
3. Hemingway’s way to Paris
4. Representation of Paris in Hemingway’s writing
4.1. Fiction – The Sun Also Rises
4.2. Memoir – A Moveable Feast
4.3. Journalism
4.3.1. “Living on $1,000 a Year in Paris”
4.3.2. “American Bohemians in Paris”
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This term paper examines the representation of Paris in Ernest Hemingway's literary works, focusing on how the author's expatriate experience and personal connection to the city shaped his narrative portrayals across different genres. It explores the interplay between reality and fiction, the influence of the "Lost Generation" on his work, and the extent to which his writing reflects the actual urban landscape versus an Americanized expatriate enclave.
- The historical context of the "Lost Generation" and the motivations for American expatriation to Paris.
- Comparative analysis of Paris in Hemingway’s fiction, memoir, and journalistic dispatches.
- The significance of gender roles and sexual freedom as represented through characters like Brett Ashley.
- The thematic cycle of "transplanting" and the connection between physical hunger, intellectual nourishment, and artistic creativity.
- Hemingway’s critical stance on mass tourism versus his self-conception as a dedicated, hard-working artist.
Excerpt from the Book
Representation of Paris in Hemingway’s writing
Part of the expatriate life he found there [in Paris] is reflected in his first full-length novel, The Sun Also Rises – a life of drifting from bar to bar, of sexual promiscuity, of going to Spain for bullfights. (Earnest 259)
The Sun Also Rises offers various descriptions of Paris which lead to a detailed depiction of the city. The reader experiences the city through countless walks and rides of the protagonist Jake Barnes. Nevertheless, Field states that the novel is not to be considered as a tourist guide but rather a lifestyle-guide for a life in Paris of the 1920’s (cf. Field 30). Moreover, Field argues that it not only “[…] offers an insider’s perspective on the lifestyle of the self-exiled writers, artists, and bon vivants who made Paris in the 1920s legendary, but also mythologizes the historic moment.” (Field 36). Therefore, the novel was granted as a roman á clef, which means that it described a part of the life of expatriates in Paris (cf. Field 29). The protagonist Jake Barnes describes some of the most important places for American expatriates in Paris, which include: “[…] the importance of cafés and bars such as the Dôme, Select, Closerie des Lilas, Deux Magots, Zelli’s, Café Napolitain, The Crillon, and The Ritz.” (Field 33). Although Hemingway creates a Paris in The Sun Also Rises which is similar to the real city, the setting is still a constructed and slightly altered place and is only roughly based on the real Paris. Aldridge argues that the representation of Paris is not a realistic one: “[The novel is] not a realistic reflection of a world but the literal manufacture of a world, piece by piece, out of the most meticulously chosen and crafted materials.” (Aldridge 123). Nevertheless, the setting fits perfectly to the attitude of its characters: “Paris is ideal. Its cosmopolitanism, its café culture, its tolerance of difference, its respect for the creative mind and arts, its joie de vivre.” (De Roche 146). Also, the existence of almost entirely non-French characters fit to the very Americanized city (cf. Reynolds, “The Sun in Its Time” 49) which Hemingway tries to compensate with
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the "Lost Generation" and establishes the research focus on how Hemingway's relocation to Paris influenced his artistic development and literary output.
2. The development of expatriation: This section details the historical motivations for American artists to flee the cultural "wasteland" and puritanical restrictions of the US for the freedom of post-WWI Paris.
3. Hemingway’s way to Paris: This chapter traces Hemingway’s personal transition to Paris, highlighting the role of his social network and his desire to escape American prohibitionist values.
4. Representation of Paris in Hemingway’s writing: This central chapter analyzes how Hemingway depicted Paris in his novel, his memoir, and his newspaper articles, focusing on themes like sexual freedom, tourism, and creativity.
5. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the analysis, concluding that Hemingway depicted Paris as a permissive "city of freedom" that served as a catalyst for his artistic identity.
Keywords
Ernest Hemingway, Paris, Expatriation, Lost Generation, The Sun Also Rises, A Moveable Feast, Journalism, Modernism, New Woman, Creative process, Tourism, Prohibition, Left Bank, Literature, Cultural Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this paper?
This paper explores the multifaceted representation of Paris in Ernest Hemingway's writings, specifically analyzing how the city served as a backdrop for his personal experience and professional development during the 1920s.
What are the central themes examined in the study?
Key themes include the impact of the "Lost Generation," the contrast between American puritanism and Parisian permissiveness, the role of gender identity, and the link between physical hunger and artistic productivity.
What is the primary objective of the work?
The primary objective is to investigate how Hemingway portrayed Paris across different literary genres—fiction, memoir, and journalism—and to determine if he captured the city in its entirety or merely the localized reality of the American expatriate community.
Which scientific methods are employed in this analysis?
The paper utilizes a comparative literary analysis approach, examining primary texts by Hemingway in conjunction with scholarly perspectives from literary critics and biographers to evaluate narrative depictions.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body evaluates the representation of Paris through three specific lenses: the fictional account in *The Sun Also Rises*, the psychological reflection in his memoir *A Moveable Feast*, and his journalistic observations in his *Toronto Star* articles.
Which keywords best describe the paper's essence?
Primary keywords include Ernest Hemingway, Paris, Expatriation, Lost Generation, Modernism, and the creative process within the context of 1920s expatriate life.
How does the paper differentiate between the Right Bank and the Left Bank?
The paper notes that the Left Bank is primarily associated with the unconventional, artistic, and permissive expatriate lifestyle, whereas the Right Bank is often depicted as the sphere of tourists and more traditional societal structures.
How is the concept of "transplanting" defined by the author?
Transplanting refers to the idea that moving to a different geographical location, or even changing surroundings within a city, can fundamentally alter an author's creative output and capacity for writing.
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- Nicole Piontek (Autor:in), 2020, The portrayal of Paris in Ernest Hemingway’s writings, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1168354
