This talk looks at two short stories, “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” and “The End of Something,” as examples of key Ernest Hemingway themes: life is a battlefield, everyone’s wounded, and the only response is grace under pressure. In addition, we’ll examine his life and literary style to see what makes Hemingway a permanent American icon. American writers who came after Hemingway consciously imitated his style or worked hard not to imitate him— he was, and remains, that influential.