Ernest Hemingway’s Creativity as an Expression of the Worldview of the “Lost Generation”

Abstract

Ernest Hemingway's literary creativity is intricately tied to the ethos of the Lost Generation, a cohort of disillusioned writers emerging from the aftermath of World War I. His works, characterized by minimalist prose and complex, stoic characters, serve as reflections of the Lost Generation's disillusionment with traditional values and a fractured sense of meaning in a post-war world. Hemingway's unique narrative style—often described as "iceberg theory"—hides deeper emotional truths beneath the surface, mirroring the emotional scars and existential struggles of the Lost Generation. His characters, marked by internal conflict, alienation, and an ongoing quest for purpose, embody the generation’s search for meaning in a world that seemed irrevocably altered. Through his fiction, Hemingway explores themes of war, masculinity, existentialism, and the constant pursuit of personal redemption, offering a profound commentary on the human condition in the 20th century. This paper delves into how Hemingway's creative expression embodies the worldview of the Lost Generation, shedding light on his portrayal of a generation defined by disillusionment and the search for authenticity in a fragmented society.