None But the Lonely Heart

Ernest Hemingway's suicide came as a shock. He was married. He had a literary career. He traveled all over the world. Old readers would know the cause too well. The author of "The Sun Also Rises" battled depression. He also witnessed the horrific events of the Great War.

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories", published in 1961, were a collection of tales that appeared in his early works. Those who have a copy of "The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories" may be inclined not to get a copy of "Kilimanjaro", but they would be stirred by a familiar theme. If not for World War I, Hemingway may not have the insight to write stories on what it was like to be lonely. Some will point out that writers are perceptive of their surroundings, having the ability to empathize with other people's feelings.

Here are samples from Hemingway's collection of shorts:

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (1933). James Joyce called it one of the best short stories ever written. It took place in a cafe, where waiters waited for an old man to finish his drink. He had too many bottles. It was getting late. Different readers have different interpretations of this pensive tale. The old man, a war veteran, was lonely. The waiters believed he was deaf. Could it be a deliberate action on the old man's part? He wanted to shut himself off from the rest of the world, if his drunken stupor were of any indication. The oldest waiter felt for the old man, even seeing himself in that position in ten years or so. The youngest was rather impatient, wanting to relax with his wife. Hemingway emphasized their different points of view. He even highlighted the lighting and shadows in the cafe. It was no longer about eating and drinking.

A Day's Wait (1933). A fever made an old man delirious, believing the end of his life was near. His son assured him it was the opposite. It made his old man more depressed than ever. It would be a mistake to describe this story as a case of generation gap, where the boy didn't understand what his father was going through. Readers must take note that the story took place during a wintry day. Spring would be next, but Hemingway didn't indicate if the old man would see the trees come to life. This was the circle of life.

In Another Country (1927). Readers would guess the unnamed (lead) character to be the author himself. He was a decorated soldier, supposedly a hero in Milan. But the inhabitants treated him differently. The young man knew most of the inhabitants have been in more life-threatening situations. And they didn't get a medal. The author described the isolation and suffering brought by war, but he also revealed something else. The inhabitants of Milan were lonely and bitter because of their losses, hardly expressing their gratitude to their (American) liberators. But not the bar girls.