HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS INTERTWINED, HE HAD A RAW,
TERSE, AND HONEST STYLE THAT HAS
INFLUENCED GENERATIONS.
INFLUENCED GENERATIONS. HIS BOOKS WERE BURNED IN GERMANY
FOR BEING A MONUMENT OF MODERN
DECADENCE, A LEGEND DURING HIS
LIFETIME, HE WOULD HAVE THE
PULITZER AND NOBEL PRIZE, I AM,
JIM WELL HELM, BEHIND ME IS THE
BIRTHPLACE OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY,
LOCATED IN OAK PARK, THE HOUSE
ALONG WITH THE NEARBY MUSEUM,
TELLS ABOUT THE NAME US AUTHOR.
IT IS THE PLACE THAT LAID THE
FOUNDATION FOR A REMARKABLE
CAREER.
CAREER. THE HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1890 BY
EARNEST AND CAROLINE HALL.
UNFORTUNATELY, NOT LONG
AFTERWARDS, CAROLINE BECAME
SERIOUSLY ILL.
SERIOUSLY ILL. TAKING CARE OF HER EVERY DAY
UNTIL HER DEATH WAS A RECENT
GRADUATE FROM MEDICAL SCHOOL WHO
LIVED ACROSS THE STREET.
HIS NAME WAS CLARENCE HEMINGWAY,
AND DURING HIS TIME HERE, HE GOT
TO KNOW AND FELL HAD IN LOVE
WITH CAROLINE'S DAUGHTER, GRACE.
THEY WERE MARRIED IN THE GARDEN.
SINCE THE HOUSE WAS LARGE WITH
SIX BEDROOMS AND IT WAS ONLY
GRACE AND HER DAD, CLARENCE
MOVED IN.
MOVED IN. THIS IS GRACE'S BEDROOM WHERE
THE FIRST FOUR CHILDREN WERE
BORN.
BORN. IN EACH CASE, THEY WERE
DELIVERED BY THEIR FATHER.
EARNEST WAS THE SECOND ONE TO
COME ALONG IN JULY OF 1899.
AND AS WE WILL SEE THE WORLD IN
WHICH HE GREW UP AND THE WORLD
HE EVENTUALLY IN INHABITED, WERE
COMPLETELY IN CONTRAST.
EARNEST'S MOTHER HAS ASPIRED TO
MUSICAL CAREER, BUT A BOUGHT
WITH RHEUMATIC FEVER HAD LEFT
HER EYES WEAK, AND SHE COULD NOT
ENDURE THE HARSH STAGE LIGHTS.
AFTER THE MARRIAGE, SHE OPENED A
MUSIC SCHOOL IN THE HOUSE, AND
GAVE LECTURES, AND CONCERTS.
SHE IS SO POPULAR THAT HER EARNS
TOPPED THOSE OF HER HUSBAND.
SHE HAD AN INTERESTING QUIRK,
SHE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE TWINS.
SHE HELD BACK HER OLDEST
DAUGHTER, MARCELINNE, WHO IS
YEAR AND A HALF OLDER THAN
EARNEST, THEY DRESSED THEM ALIKE
AND HAIR WAS THE SAME STYLE.
SHE ENCOURAGED EARNEST TO PLAY
WITH DOLLS ANTE CUPS.
THE RUSE CONTINUED UNTIL THE
TEASING AT SCHOOL BECAME TOO
GREAT AND THE MATTER WAS
DROPPED.
DROPPED. THERE WAS GREAT DEBATE AMONG
ABOUT HOW MUCH THIS EPISODE
AFFECTED HE WEREST.
GRACE INSISTED EARNEST TOOK UP
THE CELLO WHICH WAS A SOURCE OF
CONTENTION BETWEEN THE TWO OF
THEM.
THEM. EARNEST ADMITTED LATER IN LIFE,
THE MUSIC HELPED WITH CADENCE OF
HIS WRITING.
HIS WRITING. THIS WAS MOST EVIDENT STRUCK
YOUR IT IN "WHO ARE WHOM THE
BELL TOLLS."
BELL TOLLS." GRACE TOOK EARNEST AND SISTERS
TO CONCERTS AND PLAY S.
HIS GRANDMOTHER CAROLYN WAS
ACCOMPLISHED PAINTER AND SEVERAL
OF HERPES ADORN THE WALLS.
AFTER THE FAMILY MOVED FROM THIS HOUSE TO ANOTHER ONE NEARBY, A
NUMBER OF PEOPLE OWNED THIS ONE
AND WENT THROUGH A NUMBER OF
REMODELS.
REMODELS. HOW DID THE RESEARCHERS KNOW HOW
TO RECREATE THESE ROOMS?
THEY HAD HELP FROM THE PAST.
EARNEST'S FATHER WAS AN AVID
PHOTOGRAPHER AND TOOK MANY
PICTURES DOCUMENTING THE ROOMS.
MOST OF THE FURNISHINGS ARE
AUTHENTIC TO THE PERIOD, SEVERAL
PIECES BELONG TO THE HEMINGWAY
FAMILY.
FAMILY. CLARENCE WAS ALSO A NATURALIST
WHO ORGANIZED OUTDOOR HIKES,
PRACTICE TAXIDERMY AND
INTRODUCED EARNEST TO THE
OUTDOORS.
OUTDOORS. ALSO SOME OF THE FAMILY WOULD
TRAVEL TO THEIR COTTAGE ON WALL
LOON LAKE IN MICHIGAN.
HE EARNED TO HUNT AND FISH AND
GAINED A PASSION FOR THE
OUTDOORS.
OUTDOORS. LATER ON, EARNEST USED THOSE
EXPERIENCES AS A BACKDROP TO
SOME OF HIS SHORT STORIES.
HERE IS EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THEM.
IN THE EARLY MORNING ON THE
LAKE, SITTING IN THE STERN OF
THE BOAT WITH HIS FATHER ROWING,
HE FELT QUITE SURE HE WOULD
NEVER DIE.
THE OTHER PERSON WHO WAS AN IMPORTANT FIGURE IN EARNEST'S
EARLY LIFE WAS MATERNAL
GRANDFATHER WHOM HE WAS NAMED
AFTER.
AFTER. BY ALL ACCOUNTS, EARNEST WAS A
GOOD STORYTELLER AND ENCOURAGED
HIS GRANDCHILDREN TO CREATE
THEIR OWN.
THEIR OWN. HE WASN'T THE ONLY STORYTELLER.
ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN THE BACK
IS A SMALL BEDROOM.
THIS IS WHERE EARNEST' GREAT
UNCLE STAYED.
UNCLE STAYED. AS A CHILD, HE HAD TRAVELED WITH
SEA CAPTAIN FATHER, AND HIS
TALES ALSO LIT A FIRE IN YOUNG
EARNEST.
EARNEST. AS EVIDENCED BY A STORY THAT
EARNEST WROTE IN THE FIFTH GRADE
CALLED "MY FIRST SEA VOYAGE,"
ONE TIME THE SAILORS WENT OUT ON
THE BOUGH, AND SPEARED A
PORPOISE UNHALVED HIM UP ON THE
DECK AND CUT IT UP AND FRIED IT
FOR SUPPER.
FOR SUPPER. IT TASTED LIKE PORK, ONLY
GREASIER.
GREASIER. >> AS WE HAVE SEEN, IT WAS A
HOUSEHOLD SURROUNDED BY MUSIC
AND STORIES AND ART, AND
VENTURES INTO NATURE. BUT
ANOTHER INFLUENCE WAS OAK PARK
ITSELF WHICH AT THAT TIME WAS A
BASTIAN OF VICTORIAN MORALS.
EVERYBODY IN TOWN WAS EXPECTED
TO LIVE UP TO A HIGH CODE OF
CONDUCT INCLUDING ATTIRE, AND
LANGUAGE AND GENERAL BEHAVIOR.
EVERY SUNDAY THEFAMILY ATTENDED
CHUMP.
CHUMP. EACH DAY THE ELDER EARNEST
GATHERED THE FAMILY AND STAFF IN
THE LIVING ROOM FOR READING THE
BIBLE AND PRAYER.
IT WAS ATMOSPHERE OF PIETY,
TEMPERANCE, AND SELF RESTRAINT.
IT WAS A COMMUNITY THAT WOULD
HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ACCEPTING
EARNEST'S FIRST NOVELS.
EARNEST WAS SIX YEARS OLD WHEN
HIS MATERNAL GRANDFATHER DIED.
THE WILL STIPULATED THIS HOUSE
BE SOLD AND PROCEEDS DIVIDED
BETWEEN GRACE AND HER BROTHER.
IN 1905, THE FAMILY MOVED A FEW
BLOCKS AWAY TO MORE MODERN HOME,
ONE WITH ANOTHER ROOM FOR MUSIC
STUDIO FOR GRACE AND DOCTOR'S
OFFICE FOR CLARENCE.
TODAY VISITORS TO THIS HOME NOT ONLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT
A BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED LATE
1800'S VICTORIAN HOME, BUT THEY
ALSO GAIN SOME INSIGHTS INTO THE
INFLUENCES WHICH AFFECTED THE
WRITINGS OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY.
HE SPENT THE FIRST 20 YEARS OF
HIS LIFE HERE IN OAK PARK.
HIS STORY IS CONTINUED JUST A
FEW BLOCKS AWAY AT THE HEMINGWAY
MUSEUM
HERE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EXHIBITS WHICH GIVE VISITORS A
COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF THE FAMOUS
AUTHOR'S ENTIRE LIFE.
ON DISPLAY ARE ISSUES OF THE OAK
PARK HIGH SCHOOL PAPER "THE
TRAPEZE."
TRAPEZE." HERE, EARNEST IS LISTED AS A
REPORTER AND LATER IN JANUARY OF
1916, HE HAS HIS FIRST BY-LINE.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR HE BECAME ONE
OF THE ROTATING STUDENT EDITORS
OF THE PAPER.
WHAT WERE HIS GRADES?
WELL, MOST OF HIS SCHOOL
STUDENTS, THE SCHOOL USED A
PASS-FAIL SYSTEM.
PASS-FAIL SYSTEM. "A" WAS ACCEPTABLE, AND "D" WAS
DEFICIENT.
DEFICIENT. EARNEST GOT D, BUT NEVER GOT A D
AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
DURING HIS SENIOR YEAR, THE
SCHOOL CHANGED TO LETTER
GRADING.
GRADING. MATH GAVE HIM THE MOST PROBLEMS
AND WHEN HE GRADUATED, HIS
NUMERICAL GRADE AVERAGED A HIGH
"C" BUT WHEN HE GRADUATED, HE
TOOK A MOST UNEXPECTED ACTION.
HIS MOTHER EXPECTED HIM TO GO
ONTO COLLEGE. BUT EARNEST, WHO
HAD ALWAYS BEEN AVID READER,
FELT HE HAD ENOUGH OF BOOK
LEARNING.
LEARNING. HE WANTED TO EXPERIENCE WORLD
OUTSIDE OF OAK PARK.
HIS UNCLE HELP ARRANGE FOR HIM
TO BECOME A REPORTER FOR KANSAS
CITY STAR.
CITY STAR. THE STAR'S STYLE GUIDE BECAME A
FOUNDATION FOR HIS WORK.
IT STRESSED SHORT SENTENCES,
SHORT FIRST BEARINGS, ACTIVE
VERBS AND ELIMINATION OF SUE PER
FEW LUS WORDS, ON STAR, YOU WERE
FORCED TO LEARN TO WRITE A
SIMPLE DECLARATIVE SENTENCE THAT
IS USEFUL TO ANYONE.
HE ONLY STAYED AT THE PAPER FOR
SIX MONTHS.
SIX MONTHS. AT THAT TIME THE U.S. BECAME
INVOLVED IN WORLD WAR I.
HEMINGWAY TRIED TO ENLIST, BUT
HIS BAD EYE KEPT HIM OUT OF THE
ARMY.
ARMY. HE VOLUNTEERED WITH THE RED
CROSS AS AMBULANCE DRIVER AND
WENT TO ITALY.
HE WAS GRAVELY ONED FOR A RESCUE
FOR WHICH HE WAS AWARDED ITALIAN
SILVER MEDAL.
SILVER MEDAL. HE FELL IN LOVE WITH NURSE,
KUROWSKY.
KUROWSKY. THE WAR AND THEIR LOVE BECAME
THE BASIS FOR HIS NOVEL "A
FAREWELL TO ARMINGS."
HERE IS EXSEPTEMBER ABOUT THE
NURSE.
NURSE. >>WHEN I SAW HER, I WAS IN LOVE
WITH HER.
WITH HER. EVERYTHING TURNED OVER INSIDE OF
ME.
ME. SHE LOOKED TOWARD THE DOOR, SAW
THERE WAS NO ONE, THEN SHE SAT
DOWN ONSIDE OF THE BED AND
LEANED OVER AND KISSED ME.
WHEN EARNEST RETURNED HOME, HE
FELT OUT OF PLACE IN THE OAK
PARK COMMUNITY, AND THEN CAME
THE LETTER.
THE LETTER. IN THE MUSEUM ARCHIVES IS THE
ORIGINAL LETTER FROM AGNES
ENDING THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
IN IT SHE WRITES, "I AM STILL
VERY FOND OF YOU, BUT IT IS MORE
OF A MOTHER THAN AS A
SWEETHEART.
SWEETHEART. IT IS ALL RIGHT TO SAY I AM A
KID, BUT I AM NOT, AND I AM
GETTING LESS AND LESS EVERY DAY.
I CAN'T GET AWAY FROM THE FACT
THAT YOU ARE JUST A BOY, A KID."
IT WAS, OF COURSE, DEVASTATING
TO YOUNG EARNEST.
OF COURSE, MANY ARE AWARE OF HIS NOVELS, BUT SOME DON'T REALIZE
THAT HE WAS FIRST A JOURNALIST.
AFTER THE WAR, HE BECAME THE
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT FOR A
TORONTO PAPER.
TORONTO PAPER. HE WENT TO PARIS.
IT WAS THERE HE FELL IN WITH A
GROWING NUMBER OF ARTISTS.
A THEME PREVALENT IN 1926 NOVEL
"THE SUN ALSO RISES."
THE BOOK WAS NOT WELL RECEIVED
BY HIS MOTHER WHO ASKED EARNEST
IF HE HAD LOST INTEREST IN
LOYALTY, NOBILITY, AND HONOR.
IN HIS NEXT BOOK, "FAREWELL TO
ARMS" HE HAD ONE OF THE
CHARACTERS SUGGEST THAT THE
VICTORIAN GENERATION WAS MORE
ABOUT IMPRESSED WITH HIGH
SOUNDING WORDS FOR VALUES THAN
THE VALUES THEMSELVES.
HEMINGWAY'S STYLE WAS VERY
DIFFERENT FROM THE FLOWER I
LANGUAGE OF THE VICTORIAN ERA,
SO TOO WAS HIS APPROACH TO
WRITING.
WRITING. HE SAID, "THERE IS NOTHING TO
WRITING, ALL YOU DO IS SIT IN
FRONT OF A TYPEWRITER AND
BLEED."
BLEED." HE ALSO SAID "MY OBJECTIVE IS
PUT DOWN ON PAPER WHAT I SEE AND
WHAT I FEEL IN THE BEST AND
SIMPLEST WAY.
SIMPLEST WAY. " HE CONTINUED HIS CAREER AS A
REPORTER, AND DURING WORLD WAR
II, WAS WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
IN EUROPE.
IN EUROPE. IN 195 # HE WON THE PULITZER
PRIZE FOR FICTION AND THE NEXT
YEAR RECEIVED THE NOBEL PRIZE IN
LITERATURE.
LITERATURE. QUOTE, DURING ALL ALL THAT TIME,
HE NEVER RETURNED TO OAK PARK.
>> TODAY THE ERNEST HEMINGWAY
FOUNDATION OF OAK PARK MAINTAINS
BOTH THE MUSEUM AND THE BIRTH
HOME.
HOME. ATTRACTING VISITORS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. IT IS A CHANCE TO DISCOVER THE
EARLY INFLUENCES THAT WOULD
LATER BECOME MAIM OR THEMES IN
HEMINGWAY'S WORKS.
HEMINGWAY'S WORKS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE
SITES OR FOR TIMES THEY ARE OPEN
TO THE PUBLIC, GO TO THE
FOUNDATION'S WEB SITE AT
WWW.EHFOP.ORG OR CALL
(708)848-2222.