The dangerous summer
Who are the two matadors whose rivalry Hemingway follows?
Luis Miguel Dominguín and Antonio Ordóñez
Where does the story take place?
At a train station in the Ebro Valley, Spain.
What writing technique is Hemingway famous for that hides meaning beneath the surface?
The Iceberg Theory.
Explain the Iceberg Theory
Only a small part of the meaning is shown on the surface; most are hidden beneath.
How can we connect Luis Miguel and Hemingway himself?
Both were aging and struggling to stay great — they wanted to prove they still had strength, even when they were not at their peak anymore.
What event throws Luis Miguel to the ground but leaves him unhurt?
The bull tosses him between the legs without wounding him.
What is the “operation” they are talking about?
An abortion.
Which line in the texts is an example of Hemingway’s use of repetition to express emotion?
Example: “Would you please please please stop talking?”
What is one key word that is never mentioned in the text?
Abortion
What common theme connects Jig and Luis Miguel?
Hiding pain and refusing vulnerability.
Hemingway was supposed to write 10,000 words for Life magazine — how many did he actually write?
About 120,000 words.
Who orders the drink first?
the guy, the american
In The Dangerous Summer, what word is repeated to show Antonio’s self-assurance?
“Confidence.”
What action by the man in Hills Like White Elephants reveals that he doesn’t truly care about Jig‘s pregnancy?
He keeps ordering and drinking alcohol while discussing the operation
How did Jig deal with conflict in the story?
Avoidance.
What does Luis Miguel do immediately after being thrown by the bull?
He gets up and continues fighting, waving away help.
What do the “hills like white elephants” symbolize?
The baby, something heavy, unwanted. the curvature of the hill also implies The women's belly. The word white elephant in western culture symbolize a burden that is expensive to maintain.
How does Hemingway’s use of short, simple syntax affect the tone of his writing in both stories?
Give some examples
It creates a sense of control and tension — the clipped rhythm mirrors emotional restraint and forces readers to feel what’s left unsaid.
In both The Dangerous Summer and Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway avoids explaining emotion directly.
What effect does this have on the reader?
(Give 1 example on each text)
It forces us to feel the tension ourselves — the unspoken pain, pride, and fear become more real than if he had described them.
Eric connected Luis Miguel to which character in Hemingway's other books?
Santiago in The Old man and the Sea.
What emotion drives Luis Miguel to keep fighting even though he’s no longer “the greatest”?
Pride, fear, the fear of losing his legacy
The station sits between two landscapes — what do they represent?
barren side represent abortion and emptiness, the fertile side represent life and birth. ( also mother, anything alone the line that makes sense will earn the points).
By using what stylistic method does Hemingway make the bullfighting action speak for itself?
By using strong, precise motion verbs and very few adjectives, letting the action carry the meaning.
Hemingway have introduced the iceberg theory in one of his early books:
“If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them.
The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only ________ of it being above water.”
The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.
Open ended:
“Do you think Hemingway saw silence as strength or as weakness?”
Class discussion