Slovenes and Friuli as the Other in Hemingway

• Main Author: Rebecca Johnston
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani (Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts) 2019-12-01
• Series: Acta Neophilologica
• Subjects: World War One; Isonzo Front; Soča Front; Hemingway; A Farewell to Arms; Slovenes
• Online Access: https://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/ActaNeophilologica/article/view/8936

Ernest Hemingway was known for writing with the “Iceberg Theory” in mind. Thus, there are deeper meanings and contexts moving beneath the surface of his works. His war novel A Farewell to Arms takes place along the Soča/Isonzo Front both before and after the Battle of Kobarid/Caporetto and in this setting, consistent with his “Iceberg Theory,” Hemingway has placed both characters and settings that deserve a reconsideration below the surface. While the Italians in the novel are on the surface of the story and thus more easily recognizable, it is the Slovenes and Friuli who run under the surface and carry a deeper meaning. Slovenes and Friuli are not named directly, but as Hemingway was historically accurate in the novel, both ethnic groups are placed along the Front and collectively they represent the “other” in Hemingway’s novels, both unseen and integral to the storyline.