Ernest Hemingway was a Nobel
Prize-winning American writer who touched the pinnacles of fame with his
novel ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ which catapulted him to international
glory. Over the course of his writing career, he published seven novels,
six short story collections, and two non-fiction works which greatly
influenced later generations of writers. A highly acclaimed writer, most
of his works are considered classics of American literature. Born as
the first son to well-educated and well-respected parents in Illinois,
he had a comfortable childhood during which he developed a keen interest
in reading and writing. As a school student he excelled in English and
was a regular contributor to his school newspaper, ‘Trapeze and Tabula’.
An athletic boy, he also took part in boxing, track and field, water
polo, and football. He decided early on that he wanted a career in
writing and started off as a journalist before becoming a writer of
short-stories and novels. He went on to serve in World War I as an
ambulance driver in the Italian Army before returning to America and
establishing himself as a distinguished fiction writer. In spite of all
his professional successes as a writer, Hemingway’s personal life was a
constant struggle with numerous broken marriages and bouts of
depression. Deeply troubled by his personal sufferings, he committed
suicide in 1961.
Childhood & Early Life
Ernest
Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. His
father, Clarence Edmonds Hemingway, was a physician, and his mother,
Grace Hall-Hemingway, was a musician. Both his parents were greatly
respected in their conservative community.
Awards & Achievements
- Ernest Hemingway was awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery during World War II in 1947.
- He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 for the novel ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.
- In 1954, Hemingway was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for "his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style”.Personal Life & Legacy
- Ernest Hemingway’s final years were marked by ill health and depression. He was treated for numerous conditions such as high blood pressure and liver disease, and also struggled with deteriorating mental health. He became increasingly suicidal in 1961 and shot himself to death on the morning of July 2, 1961.
