In the process of composing literature, the conscience of any writer is habitually filled with not only his / or her ideas, but also with endless elements and essences of subjects, as well as styles, phrases and words, which might have never been a private property of any one writer. However, there are also the properties of writers, which have manifested themselves as (works). It is a usual phenomenon to meet traces of previous pieces of literature hiding in the works of later writers. This subject has been tackled and noticed many times, in the studies of comparative literature, and the early remarks, known as criticisms.
In the Arabic poetry, for instance, in its older forms, which date back to the pre – Islamic era (more than fourteen centuries ago). The phenomenon was not always tolerated, but poets seemed to be self confident to an extent that they ignored notices of such kind, and manifested previous ideas of other poets, in ways that seemed to be carried out on purpose. This action had been done by prominent Arabic poets. It is always the question of purity as a sign of a real effort to bring something new, though not totally an invention, as in actual reality of literature becomes an activity of being different, though not new in every part. It is a manifestation of one's need for an expression, an appearance in a unique feature, new in submission of an idea merely in an artistic manner.
In modern criticism the term (Intertextuality) rose, and adopted by most recent critics. After first introduced by (Julia kristiva), though later deserted by her as a term, it has been a trend in western criticism, and it had western literature as its subjects.
Linking to this finding in the spectrum of modern literature one can take notes of delicate traces of effects, descending from previous and surrounding literal trends and units, to one piece of work.
Taking the American novelist (Ernest Hemingway) as an example. One can meet with the effects of other writers in his most famous works, as well as in his minor known ones. One can also be met with what is termed as an (Adverse influence) which titles the appearance of a writer's effort to divert from becoming identical with other writers.
In some cases Ernest Hemingway seemed to be showing his tendency to manifest awareness of other writers, and the works which he had read, and contemplated.
In a literal form, he has used the title " Fathers and sons " for one of his stories, but this title had only been later to the same one given to a novel written by the Russian poet and novelist ( Torgenive ).
In his book (A movable feast) Hemingway offered a long account of his meeting with the American writer (Scott Fitzgerald).
From a personal point of view, one can assume that Hemingway had contemplated Fitzgerald's most famous novella (The Great Gatsby), and had exercised in the most gifted ability, deep awareness of Gerald's talent presented in the making of the novella taking the path of the plot into his mind.
To tackle this effect, taken and utilized by Hemingway's creativity, the view can move - in two steps - to the famous master piece of Hemingway's (The old man and The Sea).
1
Before getting to the practical literal sign of contemplation of Fitzgerald by Hemingway, I would like to go back to Hemingway's book ( A movable feast ), and take notes of what – in my view – signify effects of Gerald on Hemingway :
1- Hemingway gives his account of meeting with Gerald in chapter 17 of the book. He ends his account in chapter 19, when only one more chapter is left, to end his book, i.e., this might imply a placement of Gerald in a focus of attention, that should be of a consideration of the reader of Hemingway.
2- In Hemingway's experience with Gerald, he tells of Gerald's long talk in praise of Hemingway's writings, while Hemingway was taking note only of Gerald's appearance. In size Gerald looked smaller – his legs particularly where short - .
3- In the beginning Hemingway tells that Gerald was a man then, but he looked like a boy … etc.
4- When first met in an inn with Hemingway, Gerald was accompanied by a tall baseball player, whom Gerald introduced.
5- Gerald – as Hemingway tells – was self conscious about his physical construction, as far as it is required to please a woman in sex. To clear this idea from his mind, Hemingway called him to a privacy, to see what was the worry of Gerald. When returned, Hemingway told him that he was absolutely a normal man, and that he had only to look at statuses in the museum, then to look at his body in a mirror to compare his body to them.
6- Gerald was obsessed with a worrying illusion of illness, and asked Hemingway if he feared death.
7- In reference to Fitzgerald Hemingway was using his first name (Scott).
To sum up results of giving these points an attention; one can turn to the last point as well as the first one, and assume the existence of personal attachment to Fitzgerald.
In a look at ( The Old man and the Sea ) an assumption that Hemingway was working under a stressing awareness of Gerald as a problem, may appear, in that he had to show literal answers to it, starting from taking hugeness as a mark of physical greatness, that could astonish a well experienced fisher man, but, a real fisher man that happened to be Santiago who was not minor in size, to a boy at least, could - with his tricks - defeat a huge fish which was greater in size than his own boat.
Taking the boat as an embodiment of a symbolic substitute for one's own home, one can assume that Hemingway had had Gerald's very personal life in mind.
By looking at the fish, one can feel that Hemingway was thinking of replacing his physical size, which had looked bigger than Gerald's. With the fish's.
We would be left then with the appearance of a tall baseball player in reality, which can be a reminder of Santiago's admiration of a famous baseball player Gerald could also be replaced with a boy ( remembering Hemingway's not only description of his face, but also of his need for answers from Hemingway ).
The great question asked by Gerald was if he had feared death. The Old man and The sea, might have been one of Hemingway's attempts – widely spread in his works - to tackle an answer, which implied that living with a selected career which, involves man's personal ambitions in forcing his life, with emotional and physical strong involvement ( the love for being, physical tasting, and longings ) is a possible cure to a fear of death. Santiago was surrounded with creatures which he had killed, but also with creatures which he had loved, as the flying fish … etc.
Taking a profound look at both Hemingway's view of Gerald's literal works, and of Gerald's obsession with worrying ideas, one can assume that he wasn't playing only the part of a man that was giving directions to a small boy, but also of a writer who was aware of the superiority of a skilled writer other than himself, a writer whom he had read deeply, and is at present trying to recall a work of his, in admiration, and play with his technique in un announced ways. This appears as only one isolated single view, as in literature deeper effects place presences at any turns, and major aspects work to bring impressions and motivations for an activity at a selected instance.
2
Gerald – in his novella ( The great Gatsby ) had used a technique of holding up the appearance of the main character, which had to be ( Gatsby ), allowing others to talk about him, until he later appears personally, in his own palace, where his guests meet.
This idea has manifested itself in The Old man and the Sea, in the form of the technique of narration, utilizing the same method.
The remark of having an absent character, appearing later, can be only a starting point, in noticing other factors.
In both works (the Great Gatsby) and (The Old man and the sea), a heritage of narration can be seen descending from the epics, as in the (Iliad) which tells about the appearance and end of Achilles, a hero who might have continued to inspire or motivate the imaginations of writers.
Turning back to the Old man and the Sea, we can meet more than one character in absence. (DiMaggio) the baseball player is only one other character, narrated in The Old man and the Sea. However, when we take note of where the novella was heading, we would meet a more important and significant one, considering the fish caught, a character, facing its rival as Santiago – the fisher man -.
We would expect – or wish – that a significant enough fish be caught, by Santiago, because we may be sympathizing with him, however, in our minds, until then, the fish remains just a fish, but from the moment Santiago starts talking about the caught fish, we would start outlining it as a character, especially because Santiago starts thinking about his fish as such, the narrator would refer to the fish as a particular creature, and he is called ( a brother ) by Santiago. The existence of the Marline fish as an important being persists and continues even when only a skeleton of it remains, moved by the wind's blows, on the beach, seen by tourists and other fishermen. The skeleton then was also a big remark of Santiago's efforts to carry on, and of the writer to finish his work of art.
There is a factor in common to start with between the great Gatsby, and the Marline fish, that is the greatness of both. While Gatsby was known as (The Great Gatsby) the fish was great in size, but was referred to by Santiago later as (noble) too.
With Gatsby, we are not only faced with his absence, and appearance later, but with an effectual one and the same thing applies to the Marline fish. However there appears a particular aspect of effect in both, which is a show of a gift. The great Gatsby plays music for his guests, and the Marline does what might resemble a dance, in fact it is a dance of an end, that might also be a manifest of greatness performed for a show off, or for a simple self conviction. The fish starts circling, and then jumping, (which is the normal behavior of this kind of fish in this case). Santiago at least was astonished, and filled with admiration for the fish, and was full of sympathy with him too.
Both Gatsby and the Marline fish die. There are few who witness the funeral of Gatsby, and none to witness the death of the Marline.
These factors could be only a show of admiration of Scott's novella, and / or a conviction of the practicality and / or usefulness of such a narrative technique. It could have been also a show of appreciation of the importance of a life in a shown example of existence.
By. Abdurrazzak Elmaazi
