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VOICE ONE:
I’M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH.
VOICE TWO:
AND I’M DOUG JOHNSON WITH PEOPLE IN AMERICA, A PROGRAM ABOUTPEOPLE WHO ARE IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. TODAYWE PRESENT THE SECOND PART OF THE STORY OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S LIFEAND WRITINGS.
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VOICE ONE:
AT TWENTY-FIVE, HEMINGWAY WAS LIVING IN PARIS. HE WAS A FAMOUSWRITER. BUT THE END OF HIS FIRST MARRIAGE MADE HIM WANT TO LEAVE THEPLACE WHERE HE HAD FIRST BECOME FAMOUS.
YEARS LATER HE SAID, “THE CITY WAS NEVER TO BE THE SAME AGAIN.WHEN I RETURNED TO IT, I FOUND IT HAD CHANGED AS I HAD CHANGED.PARIS WAS NEVER THE SAME AS WHEN I WAS POOR AND VERY HAPPY.”
VOICE TWO:
HEMINGWAY AND HIS NEW WIFE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES INNINETEEN-TWENTY-EIGHT. THEY SETTLED IN KEY WEST, AN ISLAND WITH AFISHING PORT NEAR THE SOUTHERN COAST OF FLORIDA.
BEFORE LEAVING PARIS, HEMINGWAY SENT A COLLECTION OF HIS STORIESTO NEW YORK TO BE PUBLISHED. THE BOOK OF STORIES, CALLED “MENWITHOUT WOMEN,” WAS PUBLISHED SOON AFTER HEMINGWAY ARRIVED IN KEYWEST.
ONE OF THE STORIES WAS CALLED “THE KILLERS.” IN IT, HEMINGWAYUSED A DISCUSSION BETWEEN TWO MEN TO CREATE A FEELING OF TENSION ANDCOMING VIOLENCE. THIS WAS A NEW METHOD OF TELLING A STORY:
STORYTELLER:
NICK OPENED THE DOOR AND WENT INTO THE ROOM. OLE ANDRESON WASLYING ON THE BED WITH ALL HIS CLOTHES ON. HE HAD BEEN A HEAVYWEIGHTPRIZEFIGHTER AND HE WAS TOO LONG FOR THE BED. HE LAY WITH HIS HEADON TWO PILLOWS. HE DID NOT LOOK AT NICK.
“WHAT WAS IT?” HE ASKED.
“I WAS UP AT HENRY’S,” NICK SAID, “AND TWO FELLOWS CAME IN ANDTIED ME UP AND THE COOK, AND THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO KILL YOU.”
IT SOUNDED SILLY WHEN HE SAID IT. OLE ANDRESON SAID NOTHING,”THEY PUT US OUT IN THE KITCHEN,” NICK WENT ON. “THEY WERE GOING TOSHOOT YOU WHEN YOU CAME IN TO SUPPER.”
OLE ANDRESON LOOKED AT THE WALL AND DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. “GEORGETHOUGHT I OUGHT TO COME AND TELL YOU ABOUT IT.”
“THERE ISN’T ANYTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT,” OLE ANDRESON SAID.
VOICE ONE:
ANY NEW BOOK BY HEMINGWAY WAS AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR READERS. BUTSTORIES LIKE “THE KILLERS” SHOCKED MANY PEOPLE. SOME THOUGHT THEREWAS TOO MUCH VIOLENCE IN HIS STORIES. OTHERS SAID HE ONLY WROTEABOUT GUNMEN, SOLDIERS, FIGHTERS, AND DRINKERS.
THIS KIND OF CRITICISM MADE HEMINGWAY ANGRY. HE FELT THAT WRITERSSHOULD NOT BE JUDGED BY THOSE WHO COULD NOT WRITE A STORY.
VOICE TWO:
HEMINGWAY WAS HAPPY IN KEY WEST. IN THE MORNING HE WROTE, IN THEAFTERNOON HE FISHED, AND AT NIGHT HE WENT TO A PUBLIC HOUSE ANDDRANK. ONE OLD FISHERMAN SAID: “HEMINGWAY WAS A MAN WHO TALKEDSLOWLY AND VERY CAREFULLY. HE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS. AND HEALWAYS WANTED TO GET HIS INFORMATION EXACTLY RIGHT.”
HEMINGWAY AND HIS WIFE PAULINE HAD A CHILD IN KEY WEST. SOONAFTERWARD HE HEARD THAT HIS FATHER HAD KILLED HIMSELF. HEMINGWAY WASSHOCKED. HE SAID, “MY FATHER TAUGHT ME SO MUCH. HE WAS THE ONLY ONEI REALLY CARED ABOUT.”
WHEN HEMINGWAY RETURNED TO WORK THERE WAS A SADNESS ABOUT HISWRITING THAT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE.
HIS NEW BOOK TOLD ABOUT AN AMERICAN SOLDIER WHO SERVED WITH THEITALIAN ARMY DURING WORLD WAR ONE. HE MEETS AN ENGLISH NURSE, ANDTHEY FALL IN LOVE. THEY FLEE FROM THE ARMY, BUT SHE DIES DURINGCHILDBIRTH. SOME OF THE EVENTS ARE TAKEN FROM HEMINGWAY’S SERVICE INITALY. THE BOOK IS CALLED A FAREWELL TO ARMS.
PART OF THE BOOK TALKS ABOUT THE DEFEAT OF THE ITALIAN ARMY AT APLACE CALLED CAPORETTO:
STORYTELLER:
“AT NOON WE WERE STUCK IN A MUDDY ROAD ABOUT AS NEARLY AS WECOULD FIGURE, TEN KILOMETRES FROM UDINE. THE RAIN HAD STOPPED DURINGTHE FORENOON AND THREE TIMES WE HAD HEARD PLANES COMING, SEEN THEMPASS OVERHEAD, WATCHED THEM GO FAR TO THE LEFT AND HEARD THEMBOMBING ON THE MAIN HIGHROAD….
“LATER WE WERE ON A ROAD THAT LED TO A RIVER. THERE WAS A LONGLINE OF ABANDONED TRUCKS AND CARTS ON A ROAD LEADING UP TO A BRIDGE.NO ONE WAS IN SIGHT. THE RIVER WAS HIGH AND THE BRIDGE HAD BEENBLOWN UP IN THE CENTER; THE STONE ARCH WAS FALLEN INTO THE RIVER ANDTHE BROWN WATER WAS GOING OVER IT. WE WENT UP THE BANK LOOKING FOR APLACE TO CROSS….WE DID NOT SEE ANY TROOPS; ONLY ABANDONED TRUCKSAND STORES. ALONG THE RIVER BANK WAS NOTHING AND NO ONE BUT THE WETBRUSH AND MUDDY GROUND.”
VOICE ONE:
A FAREWELL TO ARMS WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT EARNED HEMINGWAY AGREAT DEAL OF MONEY. AND IT PERMITTED HIM TO TRAVEL. ONE PLACE HEVISITED WAS SPAIN, A COUNTRY THAT HE LOVED. HE SAID, “I WANT TOPAINT WITH WORDS ALL THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS AND SMELLS OF SPAIN. ANDIF I CAN WRITE ANY OF IT DOWN TRULY, THEN IT WILL REPRESENT ALL OFSPAIN.”
A BOOK CALLED DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON WAS THE RESULT. IT DESCRIBESTHE SPANISH TRADITION OF BULL FIGHTING. HEMINGWAY BELIEVED THAT BULLFIGHTING WAS AN ART, JUST AS MUCH AS WRITING WAS AN ART. AND HEBELIEVED IT WAS A TRUE TEST OF A MAN’S BRAVERY, SOMETHING THATALWAYS CONCERNED HIM.
VOICE TWO:
HEMINGWAY ALSO TRAVELLED TO AFRICA. HE HAD BEEN ASKED TO WRITE ASERIES OF REPORTS ABOUT AFRICAN HUNTING. HE SAID, “HUNTING IN AFRICAIS THE KIND OF HUNTING I LIKE. NO RIDING IN CARS, JUST SIMPLEWALKING AND FEELING THE GRASS UNDER MY FEET.”
THE TRIP TO AFRICA RESULTED IN A BOOK CALLED THE GREEN HILLS OFAFRICA AND A NUMBER OF STORIES. ONE STORY IS AMONG HEMINGWAY’S BEST.HE SAID A WRITER SAVES SOME STORIES TO WRITE WHEN HE KNOWS ENOUGH TOWRITE THEM WELL.
THE STORY IS CALLED “THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO.” IT TELLS OFHEMINGWAY’S FEARS ABOUT HIMSELF. IT IS ABOUT A WRITER WHO BETRAYSHIS ART FOR MONEY AND IS UNABLE TO REMAIN TRUE TO HIMSELF.
VOICE ONE:
IN NINETEEN-THIRTY-SIX, THE CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN GAVE HIM A CHANCETO RETURN TO SPAIN AND TEST HIS BRAVERY AGAIN. HE AGREED TO WRITEABOUT THE WAR FOR AN AMERICAN NEWS ORGANIZATION.
IT WAS A DANGEROUS JOB. ONE DAY, HEMINGWAY AND TWO OTHERREPORTERS WERE DRIVING A CAR NEAR A BATTLEFIELD. THE CAR CARRIED TWOWHITE FLAGS. BUT REBEL GUNNERS THOUGHT THE CAR WAS CARRYING ENEMYOFFICERS. HEMINGWAY WAS ALMOST KILLED. HE SAID, “SHELLS ARE ALL THESAME. IF THEY DO NOT HIT YOU, THERE IS NO STORY. IF THEY DO HIT YOU,THEN YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WRITE IT.”
THE TRIP TO SPAIN RESULTED IN TWO WORKS, A PLAY CALLED THE FIFTHCOLUMN, AND THE NOVEL, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. THE NOVEL TELLS THESTORY OF AN AMERICAN WHO HAS CHOSEN TO FIGHT AGAINST THE FASCISTS.HE REALIZES THAT THERE ARE LIES AND INJUSTICE ON HIS SIDE, AS WELLAS THE OTHER. BUT HE SEES NO HOPE EXCEPT THE VICTORY OF HIS SIDE.DURING THE FIGHTING, HE ESCAPES HIS FEAR OF DEATH AND OF BEINGALONE. HE FINDS THAT “HE CAN LIVE AS FULL A LIFE IN SEVENTY HOURS ASIN SEVENTY YEARS.”
THE BOOK WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. HEMINGWAY ENJOYED BEING FAMOUS. HISSECOND MARRIAGE WAS ENDING. HE DIVORCED PAULINE AND MARRIED REPORTERMARTHA GELLHORN. HE HAD MET MARTHA WHILE THEY WERE WORKING IN SPAIN.THEY DECIDED TO LIVE IN CUBA, NEAR THE CITY OF HAVANA. THEIR HOUSELOOKED OUT OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA.
BUT THIS MARRIAGE DID NOT LAST LONG. HEMINGWAY WAS CHANGING. HEBEGAN TO FEEL THAT WHATEVER HE SAID WAS RIGHT. MARTHA WENT ON LONGTRIPS TO BE AWAY FROM HIM. HE DRANK HEAVILY TO FORGET HISLONELINESS.
VOICE TWO:
WHEN AMERICA ENTERED WORLD WAR TWO, HEMINGWAY WENT TO BRITAIN ASA REPORTER. LATER HE TOOK PART IN THE INVASION OF EUROPE AND THEFREEING OF PARIS.
DURING THE WAR HEMINGWAY MET ANOTHER REPORTER, MARY WALSH. INNINETEEN-FORTY-FIVE, WHEN HIS MARRIAGE TO MARTHA WAS LEGALLY OVER,HE MARRIED MARY.
AFTER THE WAR, HEMINGWAY BEGAN WORK ON HIS LAST IMPORTANT BOOK,THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. IT IS THE STORY OF A CUBAN FISHERMAN WHOREFUSES TO BE DEFEATED BY NATURE.
HEMINGWAY SAID, “I WAS TRYING TO SHOW THE EXPERIENCE OF THEFISHERMAN SO EXACTLY AND DIRECTLY THAT IT BECAME PART OF THEREADER’S EXPERIENCE.”
IN NINETEEN-FIFTY-FOUR, HEMINGWAY WON THE NOBEL PRIZE FORLITERATURE. BUT HE WAS TOO SICK TO TAKE PART IN THE CEREMONY.
VOICE ONE:
ERNEST HEMINGWAY WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD, BUT HE SAID HE FELT LIKE HEWAS EIGHT-SIX. AND, EVEN WORSE, HE FELT THAT HE NO LONGER WAS ABLETO WRITE. HE SEEMED TO BE LIVING THE STORY ABOUT THE WRITER WHO HADSOLD HIS WRITING SKILL IN ORDER TO MAKE MONEY.
IN NINETEEN-SIXTY-ONE ERNEST HEMINGWAY KILLED HIMSELF. AMONG THEPAPERS HE LEFT WAS ONE THAT DESCRIBED WHAT HE LIKED BEST:
“TO STAY IN PLACES AND TO LEAVE…TO TRUST, TO DISTRUST…TO NOLONGER BELIEVE AND BELIEVE AGAIN…TO WATCH THE CHANGES IN THESEASONS…TO BE OUT IN BOATS…TO WATCH THE SNOW COME, TO WATCH ITGO…TO HEAR THE RAIN…AND TO KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND WHAT I WANT.”
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VOICE TWO:
THIS PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY RICHARD THORMAN. I’M DOUG JOHNSON.
VOICE ONE:
AND I’M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH. JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHERPEOPLE IN AMERICA PROGRAM IN SPECIAL ENGLISH ON THE VOICE OFAMERICA.
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