Hemmingway' Life And Work
...Hemmingway, was the owner of a prosperous real estate business and imparted to Ernest the importance of appearances, especially in public. Dr. Hemingway invented surgical forceps for which he would not accept money. He believed that one should not profit from something important for the good of mankind. Ernest's father, a man of high ideals, was very strict and censored the books he allowed his children to read. He forbade
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Ernest's sister from studying ballet for it was coeducational, and dancing together led to "hell and damnation". Grace Hall Hemingway, Ernest's mother, considered herself pure and proper. She was a dreamer who was upset at anything which disturbed her perception of the world as beautiful. She hated dirty diapers, upset stomachs, and cleaning the house; they were not fit for a lady. She adored the singing of the birds and the smell of flowers. Her children were expected to behave properly and to please her, always. Mrs. Hemingway treated Ernest, when he was a small boy; as if he was a female baby doll and she dressed him accordingly. This was all right until Ernest got to the age when he wanted to be a "gun-toting Pawnee Bill". He began to pull away from his mother, and never forgave her for his humiliation. The town of Oak Park, where Ernest grew up, was very old fashioned and quite religious. The townspeople forbade
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the word "virgin" from appearing in schoolbooks, and the word "breast" was questioned, though it appeared in the Bible. Ernest loved to fish, canoe and explore the woods. When he couldn't get outside, he escaped to his room and read books. He loved to tell stories to his classmates, often insisting on a friend listening to one of his stories. In spite of his mother's desire, he played in the football team at Oak Park High School. As a student, Ernest was a perfectionist about his grammar and studied English with fervour....
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