Chapter 4 Conclusion 10

References 11

Chapter 1 Introduction

    Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was a famous American novelist, short story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated writing style had a strong influence on the 20th-century fiction. Hemingway’s technique is not complicated, using plain grammar and simple language. Hemingway’s language is simple and natural, and has the effect of directness, clarity and freshness. His own life also influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his works between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works. Additional works including three novels, four short story collections, and three non-fiction works, were published posthumously. Many of his works are considered as classics of American literature. In his works, light and shadow are used frequently to convey deep meaning. This present research is going to carry out a full-scale discussion about the implication of light and shadow in Hemingway’s works. Many novels and stories will be discussed in this paper such as A Clean Well-lighted Place, The Light of the World, The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises and so on.论文网

1.1 The Background of the Study

    Nowadays, many researches place great emphasis on the imagery of literary works. And there has been a growing interest among the educators and researchers both abroad and at home to analyze the imagery in literature. As we all know, in both Chinese literature and English and American literature, some images are often used and thoroughly studied such as rain, fog, snow and so on. And many researches about the imagery of Hemingway’s works focus on the major images such as the sea in The Old Man and the Sea, the white elephants in the Hills Like White Elephants and so on. Comparatively speaking, there are not so many researches about light and shadow. Some passage are listed here: Light in To the Lighthouse (Jack F. Stewart, 1977), Color, Light, and Shadow in Hawthorne’s Fiction (Walter Blair, 1942) and Milton and the Symbol of Light (Merritt Y. Hughes, 1964). Unfortunately, the researches about the implication of light and shadow in Hemingway’s works can hardly be found. 

1.2 The Significance of the Study 

    When we talk about Hemingway, “Iceberg Theory” has to be mentioned. In the writing style of the iceberg theory, the hard facts float above water, while the supporting structure, complete with symbolism, operates out of sight. Hemingway’s iceberg theory highlights the symbolic implications of art. Although his works seem to be very simple, it is important for us to know the implications of the images when we read the works of Hemingway.

  In this study, imagery refers to the language that produces pictures in the minds of people reading or listening. In detail, imagery, in a literary text, is an author's use of vivid and descriptive language to represent objects, actions and ideas to add depth to his or her work. According to Gerard A. Hauser, we use imagery in speech and writing “not only to beautify but also to create relationships that give new meaning” (Introduction to Rhetorical Theory, 2002).  

  Therefore, we know that imagery often makes the writing more interesting, more engaging and more meaningful through the use of sensory details. It can add a layer of deeper symbolic meaning to the text. If we know more about the imagery, we will find the beauty and the profound meaning of the work. In this way, we will come closer to the author. 

  This research makes the implication of light and shadow in Hemingway’s works clear so that we can know more about the writer Hemingway and his works. What’s more, we try to help every reader to notice the importance of the literary imagery, set up the idea of the imagery and try his best to find out the implication of it in the literary work.