Life. Writing. Trauma

This paper begins with the introduction of the life, experience and works of Ernest Hemingway, and the theory of literature and therapy is used to explain Hemingway's legendary deeds and works (especially those works with autobiographic features). It is shown that his works are conformed by his deeds, and his deeds are conformed by his works, thus an explanation of Ernest Hemingway and the complexity of his works are made individually from a psychological perspective, so that the explanation and understanding of the writer and his works can be further enriched.This paper is divided into six parts.Part 1 mainly discusses the theories of psychological analysis, other psychological theories, cases in Chinese and foreign literary histories which are used to illustrate the theoretical basis, basic theories and feasibility of the theory of literature and therapy. A conclusion is drawn that writers and readers can regulate their spiritual conditions to treat their own psychological trauma by writing and reading respectively, that is, literature has the function of treating trauma in a certain sense. Then it is shown that it is possible to apply the theory of literature and therapy to discuss Hemingway's works because of the features of the writer and his works.Part 2 mainly discusses the wounds in Hemingway's mind in his childhood, which were made by the two contrastive environments (the Oak Park and the Michigan Lake forests) in Hemingway's childhood and the treatment in his adulthood: the hatred and inseparability to traditions and religions; the parents' influence which not only made him a talent in arts and sensitive and weak in mind, but also additive in outdoor sports, sharply observant and thoughtful in the functions of males; the wounds and shades in his mind such as the cases of hunting birds and the consciousness of death in his childhood and the respective treatments.Part 3 mainly discusses his attitudes towards wars, violence, pains and death because of his wounds in World War I and his later wounds in other wars, and the treatment he made by acting as a hero in his works. It is believed that the old wounds are treated by new wounds and adventures, and fears of wars and death are hidden by active participation in wars. In his works the hero's coldneglect of wounds, pains and death, the slow sense and loss to wars are illustrated. His attitudes towards these physical and mental wounds lead to further physical wounds and mental trauma.Part 4 mainly discusses the trauma and treatments in the love stories with Agnes, his four wives and other lovers. The setbacks in his love and his fear of female complex made him wear masks in face of females in his real life and works. In real life he continuously changed lovers and wives in order to avoid being abandoned, and in his works he tried his best to express female's tenderness and his control and rejection of females. But it is shown that this treatment is a failure through his marriage to Martha and his works such as The Garden of Eden.Part 5 shows that the ideas of heroes are different in ancient and modem societies. Most modern heroes are made by mass media and public opinions, so they are both practical and transient. The idea of honor formed in Hemingway's childhood and his experience of being a contemporary hero because of his wounds in World War I made him feel the loss and pains after he changed into an average person from a hero. Thus in order to keep his image of a hero, he made heroes in both his life and writing at the same time. In his later life he could not even distinguish the heroes in his works and himself in his real life. After all people in real life is not the hero in his works, and the writing treated his wounds in a certain sense, but at the same time, the writing achievements as treatment made his trauma more serious in a certain sense. When the comparison of heavy and serious trauma and his declining life reached a certain degree, he had no choice but to commit suicide.hi Part 6 it is believed that everyone has his o...