Was Kat Stratford Right?

The name Ernest Hemingway is one that everyone probably knows in some way or another. You might have read his works in school or heard his name mentioned in popular culture, but the name is mentioned among other authors as one who wrote many classics. I cannot remember when I bought For Whom The Bell Tolls, but I did so thinking that I had to experience one of the greats. Not long after buying the novel, I watched 10 Things I Hate About You, in which Kat Stratford (portrayed by Julia Stiles), proclaims that Hemingway was a misogynist, and his book has sat on my bookshelf unread for several years as a consequence of this characterization. 

Years later, I am enrolled in a World Literature class that focuses on the themes of empire and civil war, and For Whom The Bell Tolls is one of the required texts. I have now read the book, and found that I enjoyed most of it. You cannot deny that Hemingway was a talented writer, despite some sexist and racist themes that are present throughout the story, but I do wonder why we continue to teach Hemingway in schools? 

Volunteers in a Civil Conflict

The Spanish Civil War was one of the most gruesome events of the 20th century, and it was a war that Hemingway volunteered to fight in, as he felt that he needed to stand up against the forces of fascism that were quickly spreading across Europe. He was not the only volunteer to take part in this internal conflict (Orwell, whose memoir I recently reviewed, was also a volunteer for similar reasons), but he did decide to write a fictional account of the affair, which I do believe is worth studying if you have any interest in the Spanish Civil War. 

However, when discussing this book with my classmates, many of us were stumped by the prevalent sexist themes; I would not go so far as to label Hemingway a misogynist (sorry Kat), as I do not think he hated women. He did have a traditional view of women and gender roles, and the repetitive nature of these roles throughout the story sometimes made it hard for me to continue reading, but does that mean this novel is not worth reading? I would argue that it is worth the read, especially because Hemingway does an excellent job of showing just how divided Spain was at the time. If you can suffer through a few eye rolls, why not give this book a shot?

I still have mixed feelings, but because Hemingway was a talented writer (something he actually states in the novel, which is odd but I won't rant about that), I will give this book 3 stars. If you have any comments, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

Kat Stratford on Hemingway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iK-BCvYjwA