Earnest Hemingway the Garden of Eden

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this research essay is to understand the contributions made by Earnest Hemingway the Garden of Eden in understanding the mental illness issues.

Discussion

In this novel, Ernest Hemingway uses his unique writing style to show the important effect that someone's history actually has on their future. The story revolves around three main characters; David Bourne, an American writer, his bride Catherine, and a girl they meet on their honeymoon, Marita (Tellefsen, 150). The writer has made the contribution of understanding the mental illness in his writing. He explained the concept of mental illness by explaining the character of Catherine. Throughout the book, David slowly becomes aware that Catherine is becoming, or is already, mentally ill. She starts acting strangely, asking him things that he would never imagine his pure, ladylike bride to even think of, for example, she suddenly wishes to switch roles while they make love, even asking him to pretend to be her, and to let her pretend to be him (Hallengren, 140). At first she keeps this between the two of them, always trying hard to be ladylike in public, until they meet women that they both seemingly fall in love with. Through this role of Catherine, the readers can understand very well that what basically the symptoms of mental illness are (Fleming, 270).

The writer very clearly depicts the issue of mental illness in his writing. According to him Catherine evinces a desire to further her husband's career; she is only expressing a willingness to help him so that she may somehow be a part of his work. She is envious of his abilities to write, and because she does not share that part of his life, she retaliates with violent and harmful force (Bauer, 110). The first problem arises when David receives newspaper clippings containing reviews of his latest novel. Catherine says, "How can we be us and have the things we have and do what we do and you be this that's in the clippings?” She feels invaded by her husband's prosperity as a writer and cannot fathom how their relationship can continue the way it is if he chooses to be the man described in the clippings (Tellefsen, 150). She implies that the David Bourne that she knows is different from the David Bourne characterized in the newspaper. He assures her that nothing will change ...