Skip to main content

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  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The House of the Spirits

A good friend of mine once told me, "if a book has a rating of 4 or more stars on Goodreads, it is probably a safe bet that you will like it." This is why I almost always choose my books by their Goodreads rating, a strategy I am currently rethinking after reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. With an average rating of 4.23/5 on Goodreads, I thought I was going to love this book, and for the first four chapters, I did. However, as the story progressed I started to struggle, which has led me to believe that when choosing books I might need to employ tactics that do not solely rely on Goodreads ratings. The Patriarch Isabel Allende's novel takes place in early to mid twentieth century Chile, and tells the story of landowner Esteban Trueba, a man who went from rags to riches using nothing but his mother's honourable last name. Esteban is a classic example of an upperclass patriarch; he believed that by going back to the land of his mother's fami...
Post a Comment
Read more

Abensa Egralve Uffubensu

 "And so, with laughter and love, we lived happily ever after" (232). Do you have a book that you turn to when you're sad? My happy book is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, and I found comfort in Ella's journey once again while I was dealing with a small heartache. I always thought it was a wonderful interpretation of Cinderella, and I love how all the characters have a rich backstory, from the evil stepsisters, to Prince Charmont, Mandy the Cook/Fairy Godmother and Ella's best friend Areida. Everyone has a story, rounding out the plot of the novel. When she was a child, Ella was given a gift (or a curse, depending on how you look at it), by the fairy Lucinda, and since then she has always had to obey any command anyone gives her. Her mother forbids her from telling anyone about the curse (not that she would), but when her mother passes away, there is no one who can help Ella defeat the curse. Her father eventually remarries, bringing Ella two stepsisters, H...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Will. The Words. The Way.

I started 2020 by reading The Ten Thousand Doors of January  by Alix E. Harrow, and although this past year has been hard for so many, for me, it was also one of adventure. I was accepted to my dream university, but prohibited from pursuing that particular adventure by events that we are all well aware of. I briefly lost my job, but became closer with my coworkers because of it. And I was hurt deeply by someone I trusted, but eventually moved on. I cannot say that Harrow's magical words from her debut novel were the reason behind all of these adventures, but I must admit that I was inspired by January to become more resilient, so I find it fitting that I start 2021 with Harrow's second novel, The Once and Future Witches.  The Once and Future Witches Juniper, Agnes and Bella are three sisters that were separated, but somehow found each other again in the city of New Salem, a place where women who rally for the right to vote are accused of witching. "But witching is nothing ...
Post a Comment
Read more