Old man Quote by Ernest Hemingway
““Then I started to think in Lipp’s about when I had first been able to write a story about losing everything. It was up in Cortina d’Ampezzo when I had come back to join Hadley there after the spring skiing which I had to interrupt to go on assignment to Rhineland and the Ruhr. It was a very simple story called ‘Out of Season’ and I had omitted the real end of it which was that the old man hanged himself. This was omitted on my new theory that you could omit anything if you knew that you omitted and the omitted part would strengthen the story and make people feel something more than they understood.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway, 1926
The author argues that deliberately omitting known elements can deepen emotional impact if the omission is acknowledged.
In simple terms: Leaving out known parts can make a story feel stronger.
Key Takeaway
Use purposeful omission to heighten meaning.
Themes
storytelling
creativity
psychology
Mood
reflective
intriguing
Type
analytical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- Writing fiction
- editing
- teaching literature
- psychotherapy
- film scriptwriting
Key Concepts
Narrative theory
absence
audience perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What parts of your story could be left out to increase tension?
- How does awareness of omission affect reader engagement?
A Different Perspective
Omission can risk confusion if the audience doesn't notice the missing piece.
