The Spanish Civil War Through The Eyes of Ernest Hemingway
On July 17th , 1936 a man by the name Francisco Franco led a military revolt in the city of Morocco to begin the Spanish Civil War.[1] A war that turned the beautiful country against itself and set precedent for the second world war that would follow soon after. This would be the first time that fascism was seen on such a large scale.
The Spanish Civil War was the war that forced everyone to begin the discussion about the rise of fascism within the world. Fascism was a terrifying topic for most, and was also becoming all too real. Americans particularly paid special attention to this war out of fear. Fascism would mean that suppression of democracy would ensue, thus taking away basic rights given in a democracy. Germany, was an ally to the nationalists who were behind Franco, while also under the growing power of Hitler’s influence. Many Americans felt such a strong call to protect against a dictatorship that many volunteered to fight overseas.
It was during this time that journalism became more important than ever for the American public, as it was their only way to receive any information about the war. One of the most prominent figures that would emerge during this time is Ernest Hemingway. Already a famous writer, Hemingway would provide a new perspective for the American people to read about in terms of the war that was going on in Spain.
Known for his previous work within the first World War, as well as the several novels he had written, Hemingway was credited as a successful writer among many. Hemingway had taken an interest to this war, mostly due to his love for Spain. He was known having a particular fondness for the beautiful country.[2]
It was when Ernest Hemingway joined forces with the American Newspaper Alliance and covered the civil war in Spain from the front lines, that shifted the way war was discussed. It was here the his most influential work would be produced, his war dispatches.[3] He described in great detail everything he was seeing and experiencing as the country was fighting amongst itself. However his writing did bring about controversy as it was said to be very biased.
Though Hemingway was not the traditional journalist among war correspondents, he did provide perspective. Writing in such a way that not only brought truth but the harsh reality of what war means.[4] He would go on to write When the Bell Tolls, another very well-known work of his, after the Spanish Civil War. While this novel isn’t an exact depiction of what he went through when covering the war, it was inspired by it and saw great success among the American public when it was published.
Part of his success was due to the fact of what he called the “iceberg theory”. Meaning that when writing do not give every single detail away at first, the reader will be able to uncover more on their own at the end.[5] Hemingway used this style of writing when covering the war, give basic detail, yet allowing the public to decide for itself the importance of what he was writing. The success of this method is seen in his work today and is even used by other authors, and proven to be successful.[6] Hemingway was able to use this as a means of success in retaining the American public’s interest in the Spanish Civil war. Ernest Hemingway would prove to be a prominent figure in getting information across in a way that would shape the American public stand point on the portrayal of the war.
[1]Graham, Helen. “The Origins of Spain’s Civil War.” In The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
[2] Donaldson, Scott. “The Last Great Cause: Hemingway’s Spanish Civil War Writing.” In Fitzgerald and Hemingway: Works and Days, 371–81. Columbia University Press, 2009. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/dona14816.25
[3]Hemingway, Ernest. By-Line Ernest Hemingway: Selected Articles and Dispatches of Four Decades, 1967.
[4]Hemingway, Ernest. “On the American Dead in Spain,” 1939. http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/scw/hemingway.htm.
[5]Farooq, Ayesha. “What Is Hemingway “ Ice-Berg Theory “,” n.d. http://www.academia.edu/33353933/What_is_Hemingway_Ice-Berg_theory_.
[6]Putnam, Thomas. “Hemingway on War and Its Aftermath,” Spring 2006. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/spring/hemingway.html.
