Andrew's American Author Blog

Thesis Proposal

2008-04-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

Thesis: Hemingway's bold, vivid writing thrusts the reader into awe-inspiring tales of courage, strength, and perseverance.

I think that this thesis is broad enough that I will be able to write a good amount about it but focused enough that it will keep me on track throughout the essay. The biggest problem that I will most likely run into is having enough information to prove my thesis without using a ridiculous amount of quotes. The way that I plan on dealing with this is by collecting a few reviews and literary criticism articles. By doing this I will be able to create a well-rounded multi-angled essay.
I need to reread a few sections of my books and look for evidence that can be used to help me prove my thesis. The other thing I need to research a little is I need to try to see if I can find some book reviews that share the ideas in my thesis. This will help point me in the direction of any information that I have not been able to find otherwise.
My thesis will focus mainly on Hemingway’s style so I don’t think I have to worry about that, but I just need to remember to discuss common themes that help to prove his style. I need to put some content in as well to give the reader some context.
After reading Hemingway, I have been exposed to a time period that I have very rarely exposed myself to. Most of the books that I read take place during or after World War II and are written by authors from that time as well. This is one thing that had made finding an author difficult, because I knew what I would like for sure, but I didn’t know what it would be like to experiment with a new author and be stuck with them. It turned out to be good and got me looking into a whole new span of years.
The last thing that I am going to need to focus on is how am I going to keep the reader interested. This may turn out to be quite challenging, and I must figure out how I am going to deal with this before it ends up getting me stuck. I think I will have to use quotes and other information from numerous sources in order to mix things up and keep things interesting.

Post # 6

2008-03-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

Chapters 10-16

Robert, Maria and Pilar go to talk to El Sordo about the details of the bridge mission and while they wait Pilar tells the others about when the war broke out in Pablo, her husband's town. When Pilar and Robert go to talk to El Sordo, who turns out to be a very quiet man who is hard of hearing, they find out they must blow up the bridge during the day even though it is much more risky. Although Robert is upset with this news he agrees, and begins to discuss the details of the operation, like what kind of supplies he has to work with and how they will retreat. It isn't until right before they leave that they decide to escape into the Gredos mountains. On the way back to the camp Robert thinks about what he will do after the war, and begins to worry he wont live to see the end. After he stops worrying he thinks about writing a book about what he has seen in the war and what it all means.

At this point in the project I think that one of the biggest challenges that I face for writing the final paper is trying to tie everything together. Although the style of writing is almost identical in both of the books that I have read so far I don't know how I am going to be able to write a long paper on just how I see the style similarities in all of the novels. Within the first week of being back from Spring Break I am going to need to know basically what my topic is going to be so I don't in a bad position time wise like I did with these thesis blogs.

Post # 5

2008-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

The biggest similarity that I am noticing about the two books I have read is Hemingway's style. It is extremely obvious thorough both novels. The bold writing and extreme detail that Hemingway uses can be seen a mile away and would make a very interesting essay. I think the most important thing that I need to focus on doing is figuring out, in detail, how I would describe this style, and find examples in all of the novels.

Chapters 5-9

During chapters 5-9 Pilar says that Robert is much too serious and that he is not actually Communist but only anti-Fascist. Maria admits that she is attracted to Robert. Robert decides to sleep outside and around one in the morning Maria joins him. She tells Robert that she cannot sleep with him unless he loves her. Robert assures her that he does and she confides in him that she was reaped several times in her life. Robert awakes to the sound of enemy aircraft. Forty-five airplanes fly overhead. Wondering weather the Fascists know about the offensive that will soon take place he sends Anselmo to his lookout position on the road. After promising Pilar that he will be careful with Maria Robert is told by Pilar that Pablo cried the night before because his men no longer trust him as their leader.

Post # 4

2008-03-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

I know that Ernest Hemingway uses a lot of symbolism in his novels from my experience reading "A Farewell to Arms", but I could not really find very much symbolism in the book I am reading now so I turned to the internet for help. A google book search led me to some examples of symbolism in "For Whom the Bell Tolls". The first example which I could not believe I didn't notice was the constant bombardment of bombs and mortars. The constant mention of this is used to express the helplessness of Robert and his unit. They are outnumbered and are up against far superior technology.
The second symbol that I didn't notice at all was Robert's consumption of absinthe, a liquor made of anise, a licorice flavored seed. Robert uses this liquor to "get away" and to "return home". It is his escape from reality.

Chapters 1-4

The story begins late in the afternoon in the May of 1937 with a young man and old man named Anselmo scanning the open land of the Spanish country. The younger mans name is Robert Jordan. Robert is an American teacher who is fighting with Republican guerrilla fighters against the Fascists during the Civil War in Spain. The two men are going to meet up with the other fighters behind enemy lines. Robert is going to help blow up a bridge controlled but the Fascists. We learn that Robert was recruited by the Russian General Golz. Robert meets Pablo, the guerrilla leader who is very threatening to Robert. Robert begins to worry that Pablo will betray him and the others. Robert meets a young woman named Maria and feels attracted to her. Pilar, Pablo's wife makes Robert promise to take Maria when he leaves. Anselmo and Robert then go to examine the bridge.

My Second Book

2008-03-22T13:58:00.000-07:00

My second book is For Whom the Bell Tolls. It is about Robert Jordan who is an American explosives expert who travels to Spain to fight in a guerilla unit against the Nationalist Generalísimo Francisco Franco.

Post # 3

2008-03-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Chapter 29-41(End)-Over Winter Break

Henry heads for the front and sees that the Italian's situation is worsening everyday. When he reaches the front he discovers the Allies are retreating, fearing a German break-through. As Henry leads the ambulance's against the flow of escaping troops they pick up two engineers and two girls. Unable to move because of the constant flow of soldier Henry decides to use alternative small roads. When one of the ambulances gets stuck Henry ordered the engineers to help, they refused, so he shot one of them. They continue in the other ambulances until another gets stuck. They send the girls off to the Italian base on food and Henry and the only other driver left hide in a farmhouse. When Henry and the drive meet up with the retreating soldiers fights have broken out and soldiers are shooting officers. When the military police show up they arrest Henry but he escapes into the river. He then hides in a train until he reaches Stesa where he meets up with Catherine and they escape to Switzerland. Catherine goes into labor shortly after they reach Switzerland and dies of a hemorrhage and Henry returns home miserable.

I think that Hemingway's style is AMAZING! He has the amazing ability to take simple words that mean almost nothing and turn them in an extremely detailed yet easily readable sentence. He is also in constant control of the words he uses. He only uses the words he needs no more no less.

Post # 2

2008-03-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

When we were out past the tanneries onto the main road the troops, the motor trucks, the horse-drawn carts and the guns were in one wide slow-moving column. We moved slowly but steadily in the rain, the radiator cap of our car almost against the tailboard of a truck that was loaded high, the load covered with wet canvas. Then the truck stopped. The whole column was stopped. It started again and we went a little farther, then stopped. I got out and walked ahead, going between the trucks and carts and under the wet necks of the horses. -Chapter 28

I think that this quote is a perfect example of Hemingway's writing style. His writing is very bold, yet extremely detailed at the same time. He really pounds things in your head with repetition like when he explains how everything stopped.

My First Book

2008-02-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

The first book I am reading is A Farewell to Arms. I plan to finish it within a week of being back from the mid-winter break. This book is about Lieutenant Frederic Henry, a young American ambulance driver serving in the Italian army during World War I.

American Author Proposal

2008-02-25T17:06:00.000-08:00

My initial choice for the American Author Project was Robert Ludlum, but because he would be a difficult author to write about I have chosen Ernest Hemingway.

Robert Ludlum was an American author who wrote 21 thriller novels during his lifetime. Every one of his books appeared on the New York Time’s Best Sellers List. Robert Ludlum’s books have sold over 290 copies world wide. He is best know for writing the books on which the Bourne movie series are based on. Many of his other books have also been made into movies and a few were made into miniseries’. Ludlum also published multiple books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd. After his death in 2001 of a heart attack, many of his unfinished novels were published with the help of ghostwriters, who write, or in this case finish, books and credit them another persons name.
Most of Ludlum’s novels are centered around one man, usually a hero, or a group of people working for a common cause. The hero or heros are usually up against very powerful and resourceful enemies who are motivated by evil plans of deception and destruction. Many of Ludlum’s books have been influenced by modern and some historical conspiracy theories. Many of his novels take place during the Cold War and World War II.
I would like to do my American Author Project on Robert Ludlum, partly because the genre in which he writes is one that I enjoy and one that I know will keep me interested. I can also assume that his books are well-written because of the fact that every one of his novels has been a bestseller. It can be hard for a picky reader like myself to choose an author whose books I have never read, but I think that I will enjoy Ludlum’s writing style. Another reason that I would like to do this project on Ludlum is because he is know to be a fast paced writer. This is very important because it means that I will be able to easily complete the reading requirements. Robert Ludlum has also written so many books that it should not be at all difficult to find three of his books that I will enjoy.
As far as the criteria, Robert Ludlum fits it pretty well. He was born, raised, and died in America, so he is without a doubt and American. Ludlum is a prose fiction writer who writes novels that are about 500-700 pages long. I do not know for sure what I will write my ten page paper about, but I am positive that with the amount of books he has written this shouldn’t be a problem at all.
At this point, the books I plan to read are, in the order that I want to read them, The Apocalypse Watch, The Matarese Circle, and The Prometheus Deception. I chose these books based on both the synopsis’ and reviews on Amazon.com. All three of these books seemed like they have deep meanings and many connections to the time period that they take place in so I thought they would make writing my final paper much easier. Although I could not find any bibliographies about Robert Ludlum, but I will continue to look for one.
I know that choosing Robert Ludlum is going to be a challenge time-wise, so I will have to make sure to stay on strict reading schedule. By doing this I will be able to stay on track and turn in a well written, polished essay on time. I am looking forward to learning more about Ludlum and being able to do this project in general this semester.