Characterization of Hadley Kellea Carlisle College

Ernest Hemingway remembers his time in Paris fondly in his memoir A Moveable Feast. The book tells about his writing process and other fond memories in Paris with his wife, Hadley. Hemingway often refers to Hadley strictly as his wife, but he eventually makes a transition from calling her his wife to Hadley. Throughout the book, Hemingway characterizes Hadley as a fun-loving, supportive wife. While Hemingway’s book has no chronological order, he uses this subtle transition to mark a divide in his and Hadley’s relationship.

Hemingway tells the reader about his experiences in Paris and about his encounters with other famous authors. The first chapter of the book starts out with Hemingway describing his cafe where he prefers to write. At the end of the chapter, he mentions a brief conversation with his wife about a vacation that they want to take. He describes her, “She had a lovely modeled face and her eyes and her smile lighted up at decisions as though they were rich presents” (Hemingway 19). With a simple description of his wife, Hemingway allows his dialogue to be the center focus rather than elaborately describing his wife. The imagery Hemingway uses to describe the way she responds to a decision to go on a vacation shows...