Iceberg Theory by Ernest Hemingway.pptx

In this Presentation I presented on topic Ernest Hemingway's IceBerg Theory.

1. Hemingway's Iceberg theory

2. Name: Drashti Joshi Roll No : 05 Enrolment Number : 4069206420220016 Sem : 2 [M.A.] Batch : 2022-2024 Paper Number : 108 Paper Code : 22401 Paper Name : The American Literature submitted To : Smt S.B.Gardi, Department of English, M.K.B.U. Dated On : 13-03-2023 E-Mail : [email protected]

3. 1.Introduction of Author and about his Theory: 2. “The Iceberg Theory” 3. What is Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory? 4. “Hemingway’s old man and the Iceberg” 5. Conclusion Thank You

4. The iceberg theory or theory of omission is a writing technique coined by American writer Ernest Hemingway. As a young journalist, Hemingway had to focus his newspaper reports on immediate events, with very little context or interpretation. When he became a writer of short stories, he retained this minimalistic style, focusing on surface elements without explicitly discussing underlying themes. Hemingway believed the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly. Introduction of Novelist and about his Theory: Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which included his iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his adventurous lifestyle and public image brought him admiration from later generations.

5. “The Iceberg Theory” -The Iceberg Theory (also known as the "theory of omission") is a style of writing coined by American writer Ernest Hemingway. The theory is so named because, just as only a small part of an iceberg is visible above water, Hemingway's stories presented only a small part of what was actually happening. -Alternatively speaking, Ernest Hemingway's "iceberg" theory is his strategy of fiction writing in which most of the story is hidden, much like an iceberg underneath the ocean. The largest percentage of an iceberg is underwater (not visible) and is subsequently the strongest part of the iceberg. In the same way, the strongest part of a Hemingway story is what is hidden from the reader and if applicable, revealed later. (“The Iceberg Theory.”)

6. - Amanda Headlee explain in her Article “The “Iceberg Theory” of Writing”.. -Ernest Hemingway coined this theory when he determined that by omitting parts of a story, details that the writer and reader both inherently know, the story’s prose will the shortened and strengthened. He believed that writing in this fashion forms a stronger bond with the reader because the author has confidence that the reader is knowledgeable and intuitive enough to pick up on the pieces that were omitted. This led Hemingway to feel that the true meaning of the story should not glisten on the surface, but rather be found inherently embedded within the structure of the story. (Headlee) “The Iceberg Theory”

7. -Britton Perelman explained about… The thing about icebergs is — there’s always more hidden beneath the surface. Hemingway’s “iceberg theory” centers on the idea that there’s always more to a story than what the reader or viewer sees. In Death in the Afternoon, Hemingway wrote: “If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them.” Hemingway began his writing career as a journalist assigned to the crime beat for the Kansas City Star. His articles had to be purely factual, with no opinion or personal interpretation added, and Hemingway naturally brought that minimalist style to his fiction writing. (Perelman) What is Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory?

8. In The Art of the Short Story, Hemingway was quoted, “You could omit anything if you knew that you omitted and the omitted part would strengthen the story and make people feel something more than they understood.” In other words, the reader will feel a deeper connection to the story because they had to use their knowledge to understand the items that were omitted. This, in turn, allows the reader to trust the author because the author knows their readers are smart enough to comprehend the work and not have every little concept spelled out in detail. (Headlee) - As an author, play around with your stories and understand the balance to your prose. Too much omission will leave a story weak and difficult to understand or to see the whole picture. Too much detail will bore or irritate the reader. The author must find the balance of the perfect level of omission to keep the “iceberg” from inverting. (Headlee) “The Iceberg Theory”

9. -Robert o.Stephens Explained in his Article “Hemingway’s old man and the Iceberg” -When Ernest Hemingway told George Plimpton of The Paris Review about his iceberg theory of writing, he pointed to The Old Man and the Sea as a prime example of such writing. According to the theory, "I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven- eighths of it under water for every part that shows." The sea novel in respect to style fits the theory, Hemingway pointed out, in that he knew many fishing stories never explicitly incorporated in the tale; knowing them gave him authority for the tale he did write. But Hemingway suggested more strongly the applicability of the iceberg image for understanding theme when he noted, "You can be sure that there is much more than will be read at any first reading...." This comment is especially meaningful when used as a way of viewing a theme in his work that emerges like the crest of an iceberg in this novel. (Stephens) “Hemingway’s old man and the Iceberg”

10. - Writers who utilize Hemingway’s iceberg theory must embrace the idea that they will always know more about the story, the world, and the characters than there will ever be room for on the page. For leaving things off the page can often be more powerful than spelling them out. -Hemingway developed the style as a result of being a journalist, a profession which requires consciousness due to space restraints in printed newspapers. Hemingway believed that the application of the iceberg theory created the perfect short story, and the more details the writer strips away, the more powerful the story is. Conclusion

11. Headlee, Amanda. “The “Iceberg Theory” of Writing.” The Sarcastic Muse, 17 June 2015, https://thesarcasticmuse.com/2015/06/17/the-iceberg-theory-of-writing/. Accessed 12 March 2023. Perelman, Britton. “How to Use Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory in Your Writing.” The Script Lab, 9 June 2021, https://thescriptlab.com/blogs/16293-how-to-use-hemingways-iceberg-theory-in-your-writing/. Accessed 12 March 2023. Stephens, Robert O. “HEMINGWAY’S OLD MAN AND THE ICEBERG.” Modern Fiction Studies, vol. 7, no. 4, 1961, pp. 295–304. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26277207. Accessed 12 Mar. 2023. “The Iceberg Theory.” Private Security Professionals of America, https://www.mypspa.org/article/more/the-iceberg-theory. Accessed 12 March 2023. Work Cited