Posted by Peter Krynicki on October 22, 19101 at 13:15:45:

In Reply to: Hemingway's psychological state during To Have and Have Not posted by Jessica Rickman on October 22, 19101 at 10:34:46:

>>i need to know some information about >>hemingway's psychological state and what >>events/occurences happened to him during the >>period that he was writing to have and have not

If we date the writing of To Have an Have Not at
1936 - 1937, there was quite a bit going on, but
it was more in terms of socio-political and not
psychological.

It was a time when Hemingway was living in Key West and when the great huricane hit the Keys in the middle '30's. There were men woring on a Government sponsored rialroad which was to connect the Keys with the mainland of Florida, and some 200 f these men were killed by the storm. Hemingway was running food and water out to them in his fishing boat, The Pilar, because a relief train was actually n off the tracks. He blamed the Government for the men's death.

And in 1936 Hemingway made the first of three trips to Spain as a war correspondant for NANA (the North American News ociation) to cover the Spanish Civil War. He became friends with many of the Republican leaders and several leaders of the International Brigages, and took up the cause of the Republicans (like George Orwell). He even wrote the narration for a film about the war called the Spanish Earth which was made to raise money for ambulances. He did the narration himself when Orson Wells bowed out, and met President and Mrs. Roosevelt when the film was previewed for them at the White House.

These two events, one in Key West and one in Spain during the war, are considered by many to be Hemingway's introduction to politics and social wrongs. An introduction that would begin with To Have and Have Not (the have's work for the Government and the have-nots are the workers) and culminate with several short stories (The Old Man at the Bridge) and an unforgettable novel (For Whom the Bell Tolls).

You should note though that there are also people who don't believe that Hemingway was ever interested in politics.

I can give more details, but one of the biographies can tell it better, and there are several essays and one book devoted to To Have and Have Not and to this entire topic.

hth
Pjk

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• Re: Hemingway's psychological state during To Have and Have Not opcan 03:59:27 12/20/103 (0)
• I need some information about "Great News from Mainland" Simone Tateishi 22:47:57 12/13/103 (0)

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