Ernest Miller Hemingway Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ernest Miller Hemingway - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The compare and contrast study of the short stories A Clean, Well Lighted Place and Soldier's Home by Hemingway proves that both the works are with similar and dissimilar literary elements (special references to plot, character development, theme setting and mood). Compare and contrast The compare and study is based upon the literary elements like plot, character development, theme setting and mood. A. Plot The plot of the short story A Clean, Well Lighted Place is related to the problem of alienation felt by the senior citizens in the society. The old man in the story never shows eagerness to reveal his identity and personal details. Instead, the conversation between the waiters at the Cafe reveals the personal details about the old man. The narrator in the short story A Clean, Well Lighted Place, makes clear that â€Å"The waiter watched him go down the street, a very old man walking unsteadily but with dignity† (290). One can easily identify that the workà ¢â‚¬â„¢s plot is interconnected with the problems faced by human beings in their old age, disregarding their economic status. On the other side, the plot of the work Soldier's Home is interconnected with problems in human life, but from a different angle of view. For instance, one can easily identify that the author’s experience in wars and the alienation from the mainstream society can be seen as the motivation behind the plot. The protagonist (Harold Krebs) in the story is not ready to be free from the hangover of the war in Germany. In the short story Soldier's Home, the narrator points out that â€Å"He wanted to live along without consequences† (113). Besides, his hesitation to return to his native place with other soldiers reveals that he was not aware of his role in the society as a soldier. His return to his native place did not make any change in the society because he returned after a number years. His life with his family was not so successful because he was aware of the fact that his life is totally under the control of his father. At last, the protagonist is ready to break the shell of his dreamy world and faces the reality. To be specific, both the works deal with the problems in human life. The former work deals with the problems faced by elder citizens in a society, and the latter work deals with the problems faced by a soldier in his public and private domain. To be specific, the author chose human life as the plot for both the works and the only difference is in the treatment of the plot. B. Character development Some of the factors of character development in literature are concreteness, speech, behavior, motivation and change. Within this context, the main character (old man) in the short story A Clean, Well Lighted Place is displays concreteness because the author makes use of the waiters to provide information about him. This indirect technique proves to be successful because the conversation between the waiters unearths the specific characteristic of the main character. The old man’s speech with the waiters proves that he is able to take decisions of his own and others cannot change the same. Besides, he does not show any interest to communicate with others. The author provides ample importance to the strange behavior of the old man and the same proves that he is facing a number of problems in his family. Tyler states that â€Å" His suicidal attempt, his alcoholism, and his pathetic eagerness to stay at the deserted