The influence of Mark Twain’s the adventures of Huckleberry finn on Ernest Hemingway’s riting of the old man an the sea

Abstract EN

Harry Levin, in his essay “ Observations on the Style of Ernest Hemingway ”, suggests that Mark Twain has the most genuine influence on Hemingway.

Hemingway himself acknowledges this idea when he says that, “ Huckleberry Finn is the source of all modern American Literature ”.

The present research tries to prove the influence that Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn exerts on Ernest Hemingway to discuss the main points of similarities between Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

The two novels share several themes, in addition to similarities in technique and style.

Hemingway’s critics such as Philip Young in his book Ernest Hemingway and Melvin Backman in his article “ Hemingway : The Matador and the Crucified ” assert the above-mentioned suggestion of Harry Levin, and provide certain literary touches as evidence of this influence.