Hemingway's Short Stories: A Reflection

In Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway, there is a recurring theme of lack of potential, as well as lost chances and being stuck in the past.
Events in Hemingway's life are reflected in his writing. As a young child, he was forced to dress as a girl, which is a reason for the frequent hyper-masculinity. He had early experiences of being held back, and seeks to portray his characters in a way that defies his childhood. Though regrets from his childhood are present in his writing, the most influential part of his life is the feeling of letdown that he knows too well. Wanting to be in the war but unable to fight, he instead became an ambulance driver. However, upon returning home, he lied and would tell macho stories of his deadly battles. This is shown in The Undefeated, because although he isn't actually a skilled bullfighter, he lived himself up to be, and also looked up to his brother, who may be representative of the soldiers he envied.
To me, the strongest theme in his writing is being stuck in the past. Nick Adams gets through each night by remembering times of peace. He (and the old man in the bar) pass time by pretending to be somewhere else. None of his characters show any potential, and many had dreams they had to give up. Hemingway himself was unable to fight in the war, and both of his parents had bad experiences. His mother and first wife both had to give up possible careers, and his father committed suicide because he saw nothing in the future.
Hemingway's life is extremely present in his characters.

Six 6-Word Stories

He asked us to write stories.

She grudgingly obliged to the task.

Old stuffed animal now for sale.

Once upon a time, he smiled.

She walked away from her dream.

They ran until they were safe.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor, a man who committed adultery and didn't admit it until later, is definitely not a hero. He worried more about his name and his reputation than saving his wife and bringing justice to Salem. In addition, he felt it reasonable to sacrifice himself and not blacken his name any further, leaving his pregnant wife with two children and another one on the way. Proctor got himself into this situation, and he did not do well to get himself out. 

However - who can blame him??

John Proctor is neither hero or stooge, he is a victim. He made mistakes in his past, and was trying his best to save his family, his friends and neighbors, and himself, all while having a personal battle with the town minister and Abigail Williams. The legal system was rigged against him, and there was no way out of the situation without loosing one of his values. 

About Me

Hi! My name is Allison Cavallo, I'm 14 years old, and I'm a freshman at Whitney Young HS. I was born and raised in Chicago with my parents and two younger siblings. Music is a pretty big part of my life, and I am currently learning to play the guitar. My other passions include travel, sailing, photography, and history. I like to watch crime shows and dramas on Netflix, but usually don't have a long enough attention span to finish them. I have a wide range of literary interests, reading mostly books to do with history or current events/ issues. I am pretty happy with all of my classes so far, and I'm super excited for the coming year!