Ernest Hemingway’s Ghost
photo taken from Wikipedia.org
Ernest Hemingway is one of the most prominent writers in the history of literature. Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize for the Old Man and the Sea in 1953. He also won the Noble Prize for Literature in 1954. His unique style of writing consisted primarily of “understatement”. Understatement is basically showing a lesser form of expression towards a situation that would normally exhibit more of a reaction. He was born in Chicago in 1899 and served in World War I after high school.
From 1931-1940, Hemingway lived in his famous home in Key West, Florida. He spent time there working on a couple of novels, ishing, and going to the bar down the block, Sloppy Joe’s. This is the home that is presently one of the most haunted places in America. It is presently a museum, but many people visit and claim to have seen an apparition of Hemingway walking on one of the balconies. Also, as you pass his old writing-room, people have heard someone banging out letters on the typewriter.
Hemingway moved out of his house in 1940, and then served again in World War II, only this time in naval warfare. He also went down to the Spanish Civil War to report for Northern America of the site. Later in his life, he developed high blood pressure and liver problems, and suffered from depression and paranoia. In 1961, Hemingway shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Some say this was due to electroconvulsive therapy, where he lost a good portion of his memory.
Shortly after his suicide, his ghost started to appear at his home in Key West. Ever since then, the house has become a national phenomena. Tourists flock from all over the world to vacation in Key West and the Florida Keys, and are presently surprised to find the Hemingway House. Who knows, maybe if you take a trip down there and stop by the house, or have a meal at Sloppy Joe’s, sitting on the same stool he always occupied, maybe you too will have an encounter with one of America’s most prominent and mysterious men.
Works Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway
http://www.hgtv.com/ah-travel-landmarks/the-hemingway-house/index.html
