The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

The Line Between Delirium and Diligence

            In the biographical novel A Moveable Feast, the story of Ernest Hemingway’s life is recreated from a series of unorganized diary entries and letters which have been pieced together in order to illustrate the life of the up and coming writer in Paris during the early twentieth century. The use of Hemingway’s own journal entries as a basis for the novel allows for a first person perspective which is unique to most other biographical pieces, welcoming readers in to the peculiar mind of what many would consider to be a literary genius. However, due to the cluttered nature of the journals, the plot of the story consequentially does not follow a linear timeline but rather jumps around to highlights in Hemingway’s life, while at the same time avoiding the tragedies that Hemingway himself would be too haunted by to write in a journal. Hemingway alludes to the wrongdoings in his life in his diaries yet fails to address them directly, as was the case when he had an affair with Pauline Pfeiffer despite the love he retained for his wife. Hemingway describes the winter prior to the affair as “a happy and innocent winter in childhood compared to the next year, a nightmare winter disguised as the greatest fun of all, and the murderous summer that was to follow” (Hemingway 179). Hemingway illustrates perfectly the stereotype of the tortured artist; driven to insanity by the frustrations and temptations set forth by his art and by the people that surround him. Hemingway’s depression would deteriorate his spirit and his body alike, making it difficult to face the reality of the mistakes he had made and the people he had hurt along the way.

Through the journals and diary entries that were compiled in to A Moveable Feast, Hemingway displays a writing style which at times is highly literal and analytical, yet contrastingly uses a great deal of imagery and figurative language also. While reminiscing about the Closerie des Lilas, Hemingway notes that “the only poet I ever saw there was a Blaise Cendrars, with his broken boxer’s face and his pinned-up empty sleeve, rolling a cigarette with his one good hand” (Hemingway 69).  Hemingway meticulously notes the fact that Blaise Cendrars was rolling a cigarette whenever the two came in contact, however Hemingway doesn not give an analytical characterization of the man; preferring to instead plant the image of a broken boxer in to the mind of the reader. These contrasting styles within Hemingway’s work give insight in to the writer’s unique perspective on the world and what he deemed worthy of writing down.

Finally, this book was likely chosen to be a part of the curriculum because not only is Hemingway a highly influential author, but also has an impactful and original writing style. Unlike most biographies which are told from an outsider’s perspective, A Moveable Feast is a reflection of Hemingway’s sporadic, and at times deranged, psyche which allowed him to bleed his emotions and thoughts on to the page. Furthermore, the use of time as a nonlinear construct shows how time can be used to influence a story’s plot and coherence, which all contribute to an author’s unique style.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. A Moveable Feast. New York: Scribner. 1964. Print.