NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE IN THE SHORT STORIES OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY SCOTT M. MacDONALD A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE COUNOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORTOA 1970 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 3 1262 08552 3834 For Margie ACKNOIvTLEDGMENTS I wish to express my particular appreciation to the chairaan of my supervisory committee, Dr. Peter Lisca , whose percepti'-eness , en- couragCL.ent , and good huii:or helped me in countless ways during the preparation of this dissertation. Without Dr. Lisca's interest and assistance, this study v;ou Id probably never have been finished. I also wish to thank Dr. John B. Pickard. Uithout his advice, encouragement, and example I would never have entered a Ph . D. pro- gram, much less completed one. I a.s indebted also to Dr. Ward Hellstrom, whose generous tutelage in nineteenth century fiction has proved in- valuable during the preparation of this study, to Dr. Claude K. Abraham, who was kind enough to read ai'id critir. Ize an early draft of this study, to Miss Carol J. Quinn of the University of Florida Research Library whose assistance saved me uiany hours, and to Mrs. Patricia B. Rambo, wlio patiently helped me prepare the final copy. For ideas and ii:oral support of various kinds, I am more fully indebted than I can express to Mrs. Jane M. Baker, to Mr. Chris toplier E. Baker, to Mr. A. R. lliiersch. III, to Mr. Samuel Gowan, to Gipsy, Squeek, and Moppe, and most of all, to my wife Margie without whose patient assistance aiid constant sacrifice T vjould probably have gone mad. Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Council in Partial Inilfillir.eat of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Florida NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE IX THE SHORT STORIES OF eri;est REMINGWAY By Scott M. MacDonald March, 1970 Chairman: Dr. Peter Lisca Major Depart-.Tient : English Having revised and expanded the traditional critical terminology for dealing with narrative perspective, this study analyzes the the iPatic_^ implications of the narrative stra teg ies o f Hemingway's sViort stories. The first section of the study deals with those stories in which the narrator is or v.'as directly involved in the story he relates to the reader. These "involved narrations" are of three general kinds. In stories such as "Tlie Old Han at the Bridge" and "Fifty Grand" narrators are primarily important as "frames" for the presentation of characters other than themselves. In more complex stories such as "A Canary for One" and "My Old Man," narrators who ostensibly present the stories of other characters are developed so extensively that they themselves become the reader's priv.iary concern. In a third group of s torios--s tories such as "After the Storm" and "Now I Lay Ke"--narrators relate their o;jn ex- periences. In general, detailed analysis of those stories which use iu'^'oived narrators shows not only that Hem.ing'v,;ay skillfully uses tradi- tional types of narrative strategy in his short fiction, but that in such stories as "Fifty Grand'' and "Tlie Gariibler, the Nun, and tlie Radio" he broadens the traditional ''boundaries" of involved narration. The second section of the study deals with those stories v^hich are narrated by narrators v;ho are not and have not been physically involved in the stories they tell. Tliis section begins with a discussion of such stories as "Up in Michigan" and "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot," in vmich unin- volved narrators are developed as personalities, and then analyzes those uninvolved narrations in which narrators are largely effaced. The study finds that in such "dramatic" narrations as the Nick Adams scories and "Hills Like VJhite Elephants" thematic content results in large measure from careful control of the specific angle from which the reader views events and from the implications of the types of conversations in which characters engage. The section concludes v;ith a discussion of those stories in which the revelation of characters' unvoiced thoughts, feel- ings, and n.emories is crucial for the development of theniatic content. Careful investigation of the narrative perspective of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," for example, is found to provide the key to problems in the meaning of the story which have troubled many critics. The brief final section of the study discusses those stories in which thematic content is effected by changes in narrative perspective. An analysis of the use of multiple perspective in "Tbe Undefeated," for example, reveals that the usual critical emphasis on Manuel Garcia's integrity and courage distorts the story's t'lCaning. All in all, the study shov.'s that Hemingv;ay 's use of narrative perspective is more varied, more complex, ar;d considerably more success- ful than has been generally understood. vii " TABT..E OF COHTF.NTS Acknov;] udg'-nents iii Abstract vi Chapter I ~ Tnc Inndequ.?.c5.es of Criticism 1 Notes to Chapt^o: 1 IS Chapter IX - i^^rrrative Perspective: A Definition of Terms 22 Notes to Chapter II 37 VC:Zt 1: Irivolved T-;:j"rration • uC Chapter III • .'Simple VJitness Narration m1 (Chapter XI of Jjl.Pi;I_Jii-£> Chapter VII of In Our 7'ir:ie, 'Tne Old Man at the Bridge," i:i»J<^ " "On the Qiiai at Snyrna," "A Wri 1 '_ "Cod Rest You Merry, Gentlenien," "Fifty Grand," "Che ti Dice la Patria," "Under the Ridge," "Night Before Battle.") Notes to Chapter III 56 Chapto,r IV - Complex V'itneas Narration 58 ("llio Revolutionist," "An Alpine Idyll," "Tlic Light of the VJorld," "A Canairy for One," ' ' ' The_Mo t her o F a_Oij_een . ' "^;y Old Man.") Notes to Chapter IV 88 Chapter V - Protagonist Narration 90 (Chapter XIII of In Our Tii^.e, "In Anoth-er Country," Chapter III of Iri Our Time, Chapter IV of In Our Time , "Af ter__tli&-SXaniu "One Trip Across," "Now I Lay Me," "The Gauibi Jjir.,—th-&-lfcnj- and the Radio," "Fathers and Sons...J') Notes to Chapter V 133 'age Pari-. 11: Uiiliivolved Karratlor; 136 Chtipcer VI •- Cha r-iC Leriipd , Unin.volved Kyrrarors " .-ind ("A Ka Cur ai His LflXx-^f Lhe_P3gd , "Kr. J-Irs. Elli'.-'i;," "Up in Michigan," \'Jv)lc.icr 's lloi:;e," "Ilir. Capital oJr'che VJorld.") Not.es to Chapter VI --- Chaiaer Vil - U;--'ratic ]';i--ration (•,: AjneaJl,_a.LlJ.^-^;htgd Flacey " Indian " Cs'-pp.'' ^'ilie Doctor and the Doc tor ' s wi f e , "Tr.e End ol Somethin^J , " "Cat in the Rain," "Ten Indians," "Tlic Killers," "The Sea £h3lLg£," "H'i ] Is l.iKK vvhite Elnphants," Chapter 21 oi Tc Jiavc and Have Not.) Notes to Chapter" VII 190 Ciiapter VIII - Interior Vif^v? -- 195 ("Big Tx.'o-iIe^:rted River," "A _Ha>'. YouUl Never Be," "Wow I liy Ke , " "The Soo-a-s of KilircaiTja'-'o. ") Notet-: to Chapter VIII 215 Part III: llaltlple i'ersp-ctive 219 Chaptei- T.i ~ Iluluiple ?er:;pecLivc 220 ("The Killers," "The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife," "Tho Tradesir.an' s Return," "The Short " Happy Life of Francis MacorT.ber , "The_ Sea Chan^," "The Undefeated," "Bsnal Sto'r>'," "Hie Capita], of the V/orld," "Houisge" to S^-?itzerland.") Notes to Chapter TA 250 C one lu 3 i f:.n • 254 Bib 1 iograpby 257 Bio[.',raphica i Sice tc'i 274 Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Council Ln Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Florida NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE IN THE SHORT STORIES OF ERls'EST KEIIINGV7AY By Scott M. MacDonald March, 1970 Chairnian: Dr. Peter Lisca Major Department: English Having revised and expanded the traditional critical teririnology for dealing v/ith narrative perspective, this study analyzes the thematic iiiiulicaticns of the narrative strategies of Hemingv.'ay ' s short stories. lliC first section of the study deals with those stories in v.'hich the narrator is or was directly involved in the story he relates to the reader. These ''involved narrations" are of tiuee general kinds. In stories such as "The Old Man at the Bridge" and "Fifty Grand" narrators are priinlarly important as "frames" for the presentation of characters other than themselves. In more coiDplex stories such as "A Canary for One" and "My Old Kan," narrators vjho ostensibly present the stories of other characters are developed so extensively that they themselves becoint the reader's primary concern. In a third group of stories--s tories such as "After the Storm" and "Nov; I Lay Me"--narrators relate their ovm ex- periences. In general, detailed analysis of those stories which use involved narrators shows not only that Hemingway skillfully uses tradi- tiona] types of narrative strategy in his short fiction, but that in such stories as "Fifty Grand" and "ITie Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio" he broadens the traditional "boundaries" of involved narration. The second section of the study deals with those stories which are narrated by narrators who are not and have not been physically involved in the stories they tell. This section begins with a discussion of such stories as "Up in Michigan" and "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot," in which uniji- volved narrators are developed as personalities, and i:l.?n analyses those uninvolved narrations in which narrators are largely effaced. Tne study finds that in such "dramatic" narrations as th.e Nick Adauis stories and "Hills Like ^i/hite Elephants" thematic content results in large n-.easure from careful control of the specific angle froci which the reader views events and from the implications of the types of conversations in v.'hich characters engage.