In our discussions of Maupassant, we insisted on the notions of drifting and of being "afloat." Relate these to Hemingway's idea of a *moveable* "feast."
A movable feast is a metaphor for things that change through time. As I read the book, I notice that there is no real narrative flow and linear direction to the story. Things just happen. Each "chapter" are just memoirs of Hemingway's trip in Paris. As he travels, logs what he observes and sees. For example, in the very first chapter, Ernest walks into a cafe and takes out his notepad and simply starts writing. Paris is like a "feast", which Hemingway can partake in through his writing. Relating this is Maupassant's notions of drifting, Maupassant doesn't have any direction in his journey. He is simply aimlessly traveling through the ocean, steering away from the disturbance and mediocrity of the world.
The changing city that Kernan described is similar to the living ocean of Maupassant's _Afloat_. It controls the journey of the traveler and cannot be dominated merely by the author's will.
Hemingway introduces the people of Paris, part of what makes up this "movable feast," to be as unpredictable and uncontrollable as nature. Interactions may be pleasant, as demonstrated by Hemingway's meeting with Sylvia, the librarian (35) or go terribly astray. An example of the latter is demonstrated in the conversation with the unnamed critic in "Birth of a New School" (91-96), which is not short on bitterness or profanity.
Just because the force of the city or of the sea cannot be easily manipulated, doesn't mean that neither of the authors ever tried to gauge it's movements. In _Afloat_ we observed the constant bickering of the sailors over whether or not it was safe to sail, and in _A Moveable Feast_, Hemingway attempts to elude another encounter with the critic by staying home the next day (96).
As both Kelly and Kernan said, the changing city is much like the ocean in _Afloat_. What should be added is that the changing in the ocean is characterized by the changing interactions between the writer and the people surrounding him or her, that greatly influence the direction of the writing.
For example, with both Mrs Stein and Sylvia, what Ernest writes about is greatly influenced with his interactions with them. With Mrs Stein, he writes mostly about their talks and his own style of writing, as Mrs Stein is also a writer. With Sylvia, it starts off with the bookstore but then leads astray into what happens in between him borrowing and paying back the bookstore.
It's interesting that at one point in the text, his wife remarks, "Memory is hunger"(57), and there was no way for Ernest and his wife to relieve this hunger, no matter what they did together. So, when Ernest names his book a moveable feast, I think that he is saying that actual participation in the Parisian life will feed the hunger, and all of these different accounts in the Paris life contribute to a greater feast, which then is moveable as one is able to write about it later on, able to take it with him or her whereever he or she goes.
As Kernan stated, Hemingway writes in a discontinuous fashion, similar to Maupassant. Hemingway outlines no specific purpose for many of his actions; he just lets everything fall in place as he attempts to live in reasonable comfort with his wife and son. The text is a slice of life that focuses upon Hemingway’s emotional growth as he meets others. For example, after returning from his stay in Lyon with Scott Fitzgerald, he expresses to his wife regret at having gone on such an unfulfilling outing (175). Thus, through such unpleasantries, Hemingway realizes what is truly important to him; in this case, he further appreciates the company of his wife. Maupassant has no such interactions, so, while the two allow themselves to “drift”, Hemingway does so in a more productive manner through his interactions.
The title “A Moveable Feast” is significant in that it describes how Hemingway perceives his experiences in relation to his writing. His focus upon his interactions with others indicates that he seeks to gain inspiration from them; for example, while observing a woman in a café, Hemingway expresses his desire to “put her in the story” (5). Hemingway sees this woman as something he can devour (in a manner of speaking); by devouring her, he can write. Thus, Hemingway sees his stay in Paris and elsewhere as a way in which he can stimulate his writing. His experiences stick with him (bscho) and so Paris, and all that he does in it, is a “moveable feast”.
The first thing I noticed about Hemingway's writing was his long sentences, some of which are as long as paragraphs. One example of this is the sentence that begins, "We competed among ourselves..." (205), which could easily be organized into several shorter sentences. Hemingway doesn't break his sentences periodically, but continues to write as he thinks, reflecting his own "drift" through his thoughts. Instead of the sea, Hemingway drifts through his memories - a place in which he can revisit Paris as an old man looking back.
As with the sea and Maupassant, memories of Paris provide a sanctuary for Hemingway against the object he wishes to escape: his (post-Paris) past and present. Hemingway's memories of Paris are as an innocent youth, "very poor and very happy" (211), where all of the unpleasant events in Hemingway's life have yet to occur. Though he often alludes to his future misfortunes, he never explicitly discusses them. This allows him to acknowledge that the story does not present the whole pictur while reorienting the focus to Hemingway's good times in Paris.
In "A False Spring," Hadley mentions that "memory is hunger," (57) which undoubtedly ties to the title of the novel, A Moveable Feast. If Hemingway is remembering/hungering, the memories he wants to "feast" on are those of Paris - his happier days. This feast of memories is moveable in that no matter where Hemingway goes, he will always have Paris in his mind - always tasty, and always fresh.
As almost everyone has said, the text itself embodies the notion of 'drifting' in that it is a free-range flow of thoughts and ideas, simillar to Afloat.I also think the title is significant in that it reflects the paradoxical nature of the text - continual motion of thoughts and encounters while being grounded in primarily one setting.
If Hemingway seems to mentally 'drift', never solidified in his opinions, Miss Stein is definitely the polar opposite, witnessed by her constant firm conviction and stubborness (for example her belief that Hemingway belongs to a 'lost generation', page 29).
'Drifting' is also continually alluded to due to the continual inward and outward flux of visiting artists and writers in Paris (for example the girls who "came over on this boat" and are in Paris for a short stay, page 124).
Similar to Maupassant's Afloat, A Moveable Feast also represents a series of free flowing thoughts. Throughout the novel, Hemingway writes about his experiences during his sojourn in Paris. Due to the unique characteristic of the novel, Hemingway's development as a character is evident. He is constantly learning from his interactions with Parisians, his wife, his mentor Ms. Stein, and his friends Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and many more. He writes about constantly being hungry and the void that is always present in his life. He explains that due to the tightness of money he is forced to skip meals and how difficult that can be in a city like Paris, when he is always walking and working and surrounded by delicious food. Thus the novel is in a sense "moveable" because it represents how the author matures by facing new obstacles and meeting new people while being abroad.
Similar to what Nick said, A Moveable Feast is characteristic of how Hemingway perceives things with regard to his writing. Hemingway’s hungry sense allows his depth of perception to be “sharpened” (101). Therefore gaining more knowledge of what he sees Hemingway is able to learn how to see things more clearly in “truth” or the “reality” that he desires. Hemingway writes about how he is able to see the landscapes more clearly from the paintings of Cézanne when he is hungry (69). Also Hemingway learns from Cézanne’s paintings something that makes “writing simple true sentences far from enough to make the stories have the dimensions that [he is] trying to put them in” (13). The true dimension that makes something artificial seem real, (like a painting or a story). Once Hemingway has a particle of truth or “realness” he has the drive to write about things that allows his writing to appear less fictitious.
In general Hemingway is able to feast his eyes on Paris “the town best organized for a writer to write in that there is…” (182); he is fed by what he sees his mind is able to enter into a creative state of writing, which similarly Maupassant also desires to enter a creative state of mind, however, he is unable to do so in a town full of people unlike Hemingway. Also like many of my peers mentioned the text loosely drifts in its structure from one person to another, subject to subject, place to place, café to café.
Hemingway writes, "you got very hungry when you didi not eat enough in Paris because all the bakery shops had such good things in the windows and people ate outside at tables on the sidewalk so that you saw and smelled the food." In the same way that Paris is a literal feast with food presented everywhere, it is also a feast for the senses. Just as the food is forced upon those who pass the cafes and restaurants, so is the striking scenery that Hemingway describes forced upon Paris's inhabitants. During the true spring, a day can't be bad because Paris is presenting a feast of good weather, trees, and the seine. Because Paris forces scenery on you, your appreciation for scenery travels with you wherever you go, making it a "moveable feast".
Drifting and being afloat often distorted Maupassant’s perceptions of society. On one hand, it made him realize how much he hated society because he felt so comfortable at sea where there is no one. On the other hand, it made him feel lonely and pulled him back towards society as shown in his eagerness to meet his friend. Likewise, Hemingway’s moveable feast distorted his perceptions. For example, he mentions how “hunger is healthy and the pictures do look better when you are hungry” (72). Hemingway’s readiness for a meal is clearly distorting his perceptions of the painting to make him think pictures “look better”. Also, he often discusses his writing and reading alongside with his feasts. For example when he was at Sylvia’s bookstore, he talked about how he saw another customer eat with his family. Hemingway seems to see writing as a form of escape because it makes him drift away from society. Finally, Hemingway’s feast is “moveable” because he eats at many different locations throughout the novel.
While I was reading this book, I felt writing is a afloat process too. It is a mental journey just like drifting on the ocean of thoughts. The traveler does not know what will he encunter alone the journey; similarily, the writer does not know what inspiration will he have.
Sorry, it has been a really busy week so that my response is really short...but I will think about it more.
A movable feast is a metaphor for things that change through time. As I read the book, I notice that there is no real narrative flow and linear direction to the story. Things just happen. Each "chapter" are just memoirs of Hemingway's trip in Paris. As he travels, logs what he observes and sees. For example, in the very first chapter, Ernest walks into a cafe and takes out his notepad and simply starts writing. Paris is like a "feast", which Hemingway can partake in through his writing. Relating this is Maupassant's notions of drifting, Maupassant doesn't have any direction in his journey. He is simply aimlessly traveling through the ocean, steering away from the disturbance and mediocrity of the world.
ReplyDeleteThe changing city that Kernan described is similar to the living ocean of Maupassant's _Afloat_. It controls the journey of the traveler and cannot be dominated merely by the author's will.
ReplyDeleteHemingway introduces the people of Paris, part of what makes up this "movable feast," to be as unpredictable and uncontrollable as nature. Interactions may be pleasant, as demonstrated by Hemingway's meeting with Sylvia, the librarian (35) or go terribly astray. An example of the latter is demonstrated in the conversation with the unnamed critic in "Birth of a New School" (91-96), which is not short on bitterness or profanity.
Just because the force of the city or of the sea cannot be easily manipulated, doesn't mean that neither of the authors ever tried to gauge it's movements. In _Afloat_ we observed the constant bickering of the sailors over whether or not it was safe to sail, and in _A Moveable Feast_, Hemingway attempts to elude another encounter with the critic by staying home the next day (96).
As both Kelly and Kernan said, the changing city is much like the ocean in _Afloat_. What should be added is that the changing in the ocean is characterized by the changing interactions between the writer and the people surrounding him or her, that greatly influence the direction of the writing.
ReplyDeleteFor example, with both Mrs Stein and Sylvia, what Ernest writes about is greatly influenced with his interactions with them. With Mrs Stein, he writes mostly about their talks and his own style of writing, as Mrs Stein is also a writer. With Sylvia, it starts off with the bookstore but then leads astray into what happens in between him borrowing and paying back the bookstore.
It's interesting that at one point in the text, his wife remarks, "Memory is hunger"(57), and there was no way for Ernest and his wife to relieve this hunger, no matter what they did together. So, when Ernest names his book a moveable feast, I think that he is saying that actual participation in the Parisian life will feed the hunger, and all of these different accounts in the Paris life contribute to a greater feast, which then is moveable as one is able to write about it later on, able to take it with him or her whereever he or she goes.
As Kernan stated, Hemingway writes in a discontinuous fashion, similar to Maupassant. Hemingway outlines no specific purpose for many of his actions; he just lets everything fall in place as he attempts to live in reasonable comfort with his wife and son. The text is a slice of life that focuses upon Hemingway’s emotional growth as he meets others. For example, after returning from his stay in Lyon with Scott Fitzgerald, he expresses to his wife regret at having gone on such an unfulfilling outing (175). Thus, through such unpleasantries, Hemingway realizes what is truly important to him; in this case, he further appreciates the company of his wife. Maupassant has no such interactions, so, while the two allow themselves to “drift”, Hemingway does so in a more productive manner through his interactions.
ReplyDeleteThe title “A Moveable Feast” is significant in that it describes how Hemingway perceives his experiences in relation to his writing. His focus upon his interactions with others indicates that he seeks to gain inspiration from them; for example, while observing a woman in a café, Hemingway expresses his desire to “put her in the story” (5). Hemingway sees this woman as something he can devour (in a manner of speaking); by devouring her, he can write. Thus, Hemingway sees his stay in Paris and elsewhere as a way in which he can stimulate his writing. His experiences stick with him (bscho) and so Paris, and all that he does in it, is a “moveable feast”.
The first thing I noticed about Hemingway's writing was his long sentences, some of which are as long as paragraphs. One example of this is the sentence that begins, "We competed among ourselves..." (205), which could easily be organized into several shorter sentences. Hemingway doesn't break his sentences periodically, but continues to write as he thinks, reflecting his own "drift" through his thoughts. Instead of the sea, Hemingway drifts through his memories - a place in which he can revisit Paris as an old man looking back.
ReplyDeleteAs with the sea and Maupassant, memories of Paris provide a sanctuary for Hemingway against the object he wishes to escape: his (post-Paris) past and present. Hemingway's memories of Paris are as an innocent youth, "very poor and very happy" (211), where all of the unpleasant events in Hemingway's life have yet to occur. Though he often alludes to his future misfortunes, he never explicitly discusses them. This allows him to acknowledge that the story does not present the whole pictur while reorienting the focus to Hemingway's good times in Paris.
In "A False Spring," Hadley mentions that "memory is hunger," (57) which undoubtedly ties to the title of the novel, A Moveable Feast. If Hemingway is remembering/hungering, the memories he wants to "feast" on are those of Paris - his happier days. This feast of memories is moveable in that no matter where Hemingway goes, he will always have Paris in his mind - always tasty, and always fresh.
As almost everyone has said, the text itself embodies the notion of 'drifting' in that it is a free-range flow of thoughts and ideas, simillar to Afloat.I also think the title is significant in that it reflects the paradoxical nature of the text - continual motion of thoughts and encounters while being grounded in primarily one setting.
ReplyDeleteIf Hemingway seems to mentally 'drift', never solidified in his opinions, Miss Stein is definitely the polar opposite, witnessed by her constant firm conviction and stubborness (for example her belief that Hemingway belongs to a 'lost generation', page 29).
'Drifting' is also continually alluded to due to the continual inward and outward flux of visiting artists and writers in Paris (for example the girls who "came over on this boat" and are in Paris for a short stay, page 124).
Similar to Maupassant's Afloat, A Moveable Feast also represents a series of free flowing thoughts. Throughout the novel, Hemingway writes about his experiences during his sojourn in Paris. Due to the unique characteristic of the novel, Hemingway's development as a character is evident. He is constantly learning from his interactions with Parisians, his wife, his mentor Ms. Stein, and his friends Scott Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, and many more. He writes about constantly being hungry and the void that is always present in his life. He explains that due to the tightness of money he is forced to skip meals and how difficult that can be in a city like Paris, when he is always walking and working and surrounded by delicious food. Thus the novel is in a sense "moveable" because it represents how the author matures by facing new obstacles and meeting new people while being abroad.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to what Nick said, A Moveable Feast is characteristic of how Hemingway perceives things with regard to his writing. Hemingway’s hungry sense allows his depth of perception to be “sharpened” (101). Therefore gaining more knowledge of what he sees Hemingway is able to learn how to see things more clearly in “truth” or the “reality” that he desires. Hemingway writes about how he is able to see the landscapes more clearly from the paintings of Cézanne when he is hungry (69). Also Hemingway learns from Cézanne’s paintings something that makes “writing simple true sentences far from enough to make the stories have the dimensions that [he is] trying to put them in” (13). The true dimension that makes something artificial seem real, (like a painting or a story). Once Hemingway has a particle of truth or “realness” he has the drive to write about things that allows his writing to appear less fictitious.
ReplyDeleteIn general Hemingway is able to feast his eyes on Paris “the town best organized for a writer to write in that there is…” (182); he is fed by what he sees his mind is able to enter into a creative state of writing, which similarly Maupassant also desires to enter a creative state of mind, however, he is unable to do so in a town full of people unlike Hemingway. Also like many of my peers mentioned the text loosely drifts in its structure from one person to another, subject to subject, place to place, café to café.
Hemingway writes, "you got very hungry when you didi not eat enough in Paris because all the bakery shops had such good things in the windows and people ate outside at tables on the sidewalk so that you saw and smelled the food." In the same way that Paris is a literal feast with food presented everywhere, it is also a feast for the senses. Just as the food is forced upon those who pass the cafes and restaurants, so is the striking scenery that Hemingway describes forced upon Paris's inhabitants. During the true spring, a day can't be bad because Paris is presenting a feast of good weather, trees, and the seine. Because Paris forces scenery on you, your appreciation for scenery travels with you wherever you go, making it a "moveable feast".
ReplyDeleteDrifting and being afloat often distorted Maupassant’s perceptions of society. On one hand, it made him realize how much he hated society because he felt so comfortable at sea where there is no one. On the other hand, it made him feel lonely and pulled him back towards society as shown in his eagerness to meet his friend. Likewise, Hemingway’s moveable feast distorted his perceptions. For example, he mentions how “hunger is healthy and the pictures do look better when you are hungry” (72). Hemingway’s readiness for a meal is clearly distorting his perceptions of the painting to make him think pictures “look better”. Also, he often discusses his writing and reading alongside with his feasts. For example when he was at Sylvia’s bookstore, he talked about how he saw another customer eat with his family. Hemingway seems to see writing as a form of escape because it makes him drift away from society. Finally, Hemingway’s feast is “moveable” because he eats at many different locations throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was reading this book, I felt writing is a afloat process too. It is a mental journey just like drifting on the ocean of thoughts. The traveler does not know what will he encunter alone the journey; similarily, the writer does not know what inspiration will he have.
ReplyDeleteSorry, it has been a really busy week so that my response is really short...but I will think about it more.