Free Essay about William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway

William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway were great writers successfully writers who did various works independently; their works include; "A Rose for Emily" and " the Snows of Kilimanjaro" respectively. Both authors were historical writers whose works were based on their different historical surrounding and experiences within their environments. Both authors have affected ad motivated by the serious historical happenings around them. Their styles of writing to a large extent tend to resemble as they explore and utilize same styles and literary styles.

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William Faulkner born in New Albany Mississippi in 1897 was a great novelist and a short story writer whose works focused on the history of southern America while he was growing up. He explored the life, attitudes and issues affecting the people of the south since the inception of the Federation (Qun, 2010). Most of his works examined the moral and social implication of historical happenings in the south. The south that has to emerge from civil war and slavery, its residents was experiencing new world order that they were not used to. Through his stories, he also explored the tension between the south and the north, through his gothic stories. The failure of a figure to provide guidance may be through religion and politics is evident in his works. He uses individuals who struggle in finding the new identity, with epics of his characters struggling to understand the harsh reality of the new world order. A Rose for Emily short story was first to publish by Forum a popular magazine then in 1930.

Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in, Illinois, was also a novelist and a short story teller. His works focused on the history that he went through especially the surroundings of World War I, which he served in Paris. In most of his works, he explores the events of war and the effects and implications it had on the veterans (Bloom, 2005).

Both Hemingway and Faulkner tend to espouse a lot of similarity in their works. The historical events highly motivated both of their works. According to Bloom (2015) in Hemmingways the Snows of Kilimanjaro, the author explores the impacts of First World War using his main character Harris. He utilizes flashback where Harris recalls events of the war though away on safari he can recall the events through a series of flashbacks. He recalls his time in Bulgaria, remembers seeing a boys body half eaten by dogs and a wounded soldier entangled in a wire. In Faulkners short story, A Rose for Emily explores the theme of slavery in the south and how the change call to end it was impacting the lives of the southern. He explores the theme well as it was he grew up observing it. The need for the black women to wear aprons in the public was enforced by the mayor, Colonel Sartoris to the support of the towns people.

Furthermore, both authors utilize and explore same themes and styles in their short stories. They both explore the power of death which is at the center of their pieces, which is used symbolically. In the Snows of Kilimanjaro, Hemingway takes death to symbolize a transformation to pure and life of truthfulness. On the other hand, Faulkner in A Rose for Emily takes death to signify a new beginning. The inability of Emily to accept death despite it being a reality is evident. Emily, who stand for the old order in the South, is yet to accept the changing order despite it being clear that a new order is coming. The inability of Emily accepting the dead has died by clinging to the body of her dead father symbolizes clinging to the old order that is changing.

Furthermore, both Hemmingway and Faulkner in their texts explore various historical events that affected the Americans in one way or the other. Hemmingway explores the theme of issues affecting World War I veterans. The Americans were active participants in the war, as most were recruited and taken to different parts of the world. Using the central character Harris, the author can bring out the effects of the war especially the psychological effect the veterans had. Harris in the snow of Mount Kilimanjaro can recall the horrible events and happenings in the war. Harris vividly recalls the nasty pictures of dead bodies through flashback. More so, the veterans still have physical injuries that are evident through the injuries in Harris' leg. The leg rekindles his war memories of the war hence a contributor to his psychological torments (Bloom, 2005). Faulkner, on the other hand, explores the issue of slavery that most of the people in the southern America were reluctant to abolish. Using Emily as the main character, he metaphorically explores the how the Southern was unwilling to accept the new order. Emily Shields herself in the house that shields her from the outside world. She sets herself rules and laws that she enforces to her benefit. The scenario is the same as that of the southern Americas stands against the new order that sort to abolish slave trade as the rest of America. The southerners sort to maintain the status quo that led to American civil wars (Qun, 2010).

Both Hemingways and Faulkner have differences in their works as displayed in both the Snows of Kilimanjaro and a rose for Emily. Hemingway in his short story uses first person narration, where Harris the main character is the main narrator of the story. Harris uses flashback and the current situation to give the basis of the story. He recalls the sickly lonely feeling of being in Paris; he further remembers the Turks and an American poet talking about the Dada movement. According to Qun (2010). Faulkner in his story utilizes second person narration; the narrator focuses on the life of Emily, who is the main character. The narrator observes the life of Emily and the environment that is against any disruption of the life they are used to.

The main focus of Faulkners a Rose for Emily, is the southern America and how they tackled the issue of slavery. In the text, Faulkner explores how most of the Southerners were against the abolishment of slavery in America. Using the main character Emily he gives the true feeling of most feeling. This is the contrast to Hemmingway, who explores the large impact of World War I not only to the veterans but also the direct impact of the war on humanity. The war led to the loss of human lives as t recalled in Harris flashback. The war highly affected the veterans including Harris psychologically, leading him to live unaccomplished lives. Furthermore, destruction of properties is also a resultant of war; Harris grandfather had his cottage and guns burnt down.

In his text, Hemmingway focuses on the need to recreate a new life by overcoming the past failures and challenges. Through flashbacks Harris, is able to recall his past which has greatly contributed to the current challenges he is going through. The author uses the main characters life failure recall to help him take a step to accomplish his dreams of writing a book. On the other hand, Faulkner uses death to symbolize a new era. The death of Emily Grierson is used to symbolize the end of the old era. Emilys death brought the entire town which attended her funeral, this was the first time a stranger entered her homestead. The funeral opened the new era in the homestead thus symbolically ushering in new life.

Both Faulkner and Hemingway through their work provide historic a critical analysis of historical issues affecting the united states during their lifetime. The literal styles they apply in analyzing various aspects of the south resistance to slavery in the case of Faulkner and the effect of the World War I by Hemingway; easily resonates with readers. They both use almost the same approach in their texts, mostly the symbolic nature of their texts.

References

Bloom, H. (2005). Ernest Hemingway. New York: InfoBase Publishing.

Qun, X. I. E. (2010). Analysis of the Changing Portraits in" A Rose for Emily. Canadian Social Science, 3(2), 66-69.