Gertrude Stein's Relationship

Indeed, the demise of the relationship between Ernest Hemingway and one of his most instrumental supporters, Gertrude Stein, was parallel to the influence she had on both his life and his writing. Gertrude Stein was inarguably one of the most influential mentors in Hemingway’s life, and the ups and downs of their relationship, both literary and personal, involved many complications and conflicts.
The turbulent relationship of Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway began in 1922, after an arranged meeting by their mutual friend, Sherwood Anderson. When Stein first met Hemingway, she described him as “extraordinarily handsome.” (Baker, 9) In fact, both Stein and Hemingway made strong impressions on each other from the start. (Larsen, 25) Stein …show more content…
When Stein received the news, she was just as ecstatic as Hemingway. (Baker, 16) Stein had taken an interest in Hemingway’s works, and criticized his manuscripts ruthlessly, but at the same time, she was his biggest encourager. (Rovit, 29) As Hemingway worked with Stein to carve out a prose of style, he inadvertently picked up several of her traits and writing styles. In a letter he wrote to a young poet, Hemingway unconsciously echoed Stein’s advice and ideas. (Meyers, 113) Though Hemingway would later deny it, he learned much from his years of working with Stein. No discussion of Ernest Hemingway’s development as an artist could go without mention of Gertrude Stein’s immeasurable contribution. (Rovit, 29) Even so, after the eventual downfall of their relationship, Hemingway continued to emphasize the individuality of his literary prose and works. Although Hemingway acknowledged his literary influences, he misled readers about the amount of artistic influence his mentors actually had on him. (Meyers, 136) Nevertheless, it is undeniable that many of Hemingway’s works and successes reflect the impact Gertrude Stein made on his writing career and style. The argument of how much Stein actually contributed to Hemingway’s development as a writer was one of the driving factors in the end of their relationship, and the subsequent literary abuse they directed at each …show more content…
Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises, opens with Stein’s phrase “You are all a Lost Generation.” However, although the term was coined by Stein and made famous by Hemingway, (Baker, 80) both parties had conflicting views over the actual meaning of the expression. Hemingway first heard the term when Stein called Hemingway’s generation a lost generation. Stein told Hemingway “You have no respect for anything. You drink yourself to death,” (Oliver, 201) further stating, “don’t argue with me, you’re all a lost generation.” (Baker, 365) Hemingway resented Stein’s insistence that he belonged to a lost generation, (Baker, 365) and the argument that ensued between the two over the topic was a principal influence in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway felt there was no such thing as a lost generation (Baker, 80), believing that all generation were lost by something. (Oliver, 201) The inference Stein made unto Hemingway and his generation frustrated Hemingway greatly, because he did not feel lost, and he did not want to be compared to the rest of his generation. Although the term is famous due to both Stein and Hemingway, the difference in opinions between the two over the idea of the lost generation was a large source of tension within their