Ernest Hemingway: Catholicism and Western Cultural Decline

Though frequently tinged with existential sorrow and disillusionment, Ernest Hemingway’s writings can certainly be understood as a mirror of the social collapse that has grown more obvious in contemporary times. His observations of the post-World War I era, when Western conventional norms looked to be disintegrating, provide a prophetic look at the cultural degradation we are now witnessing.

Hemingway presents in “The Sun Also Rises” (1926) a generation lost and aimless who turns to hedonistic activities to cover the gap left by a society bereft of moral compass much like todays society. This sense of aimlessness and the collapse of conventional norms reflect the social deterioration now clearly visible in many spheres of modern Western life. Hemingway’s investigation of moral uncertainty, disillusionment, and the futility of war can be taken as a warning against the long-term effects of forsaking fundamental cultural and moral values.

It is my view that a return to Catholicism is the only thing that can offset Hemingway’s so eloquent description of this degeneration.

I further contend that Catholic Church provides a moral and ethical framework that can help people and civilizations return to a road of justice and stability, therefore offering a solution to the problems of the world. Adopting Catholic values will help to restore the moral clarity and sense of purpose that Hemingway’s characters and so, modern society seem to lack.

Hemingway’s writing thus serves as a warning for the present as much as a mirror of the past. It forces us to examine the moral and cultural direction of our society and implies that, as is offered via Catholicism, a return to enduring principles could be the solution to prevent the devastation Hemingway’s characters appear destined for.

Shayne Heffernan