1_nichols

Rachel Nichols

Rhetoric

The Ironies of Life

"The Sea Change," by Ernest Hemingway is the story of a young woman's change in her sexual preferences and a man's change of his perspectives on that issue. Hemingway wrote "The Sea Change" in a very matter-of-fact tone, using the third person objective point of view, thus limiting the narrator of the story to telling only facts as they happen. The characters are allowed to tell their story themselves. No opinions other than those of the two couples in the café and the barman are expressed. Because of this, the reader is left to draw his own conclusions from the dialogue.

Upon first reading "The Sea Change," not much appears to be happening. As Wirt Williams, author of The Tragic Art of Ernest Hemingway, puts it, "The Sea Change" is another one of those "Hemingway stories that might be called anecdotal if one reads it carelessly" (99). After taking a closer look though, the reader will notice the underlying theme of homosexuality written in the "signatory form" (99) of Hemingway. This theme of homosexuality is conveyed to the reader through Hemingway's use of irony in the dialogue.

Irony is used in several places and in several ways throughout "The Sea Change." Even the title exhibits irony in that "The Sea Change" can be looked at as a cliche meaning a big change that is occurring within the man and woman. Or, the title can be looked at as expressing the physical changes that have happened to the couple as a result of spending the entire summer at the beach. Of most importance to the reader in understanding the theme are the changes occurring within the couple.

Joseph Defalco, author of The Hero in Hemingway's Short Stories, says it is ironic that the man, who spends much of the story denouncing vice, actually "has embraced vice, not the woman" (178). This becomes apparent when the man misquotes "An Essay on Man" by Alexander Pope:

Vice is a monster of so frightful mein,

As, to be hated, needs but to be seen;

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,

We first endure, then pity, then embrace. (Qtd. In Defalco 178)

When the man in Hemingway's story tries to quote Pope, he winds-up saying "'Vice is a monster of such fearful mein,' . . . that to be something or other needs but to be seen. Then we something, something, then embrace" (3). The man's misquotation alters the meaning of Pope's passage, and by doing so "it adds a sharp, ironic twist to the narrative" (Defalco 178). The way the man recalls the passage suggests that in the end "'we embrace,' which would imply forgiveness of another's misdemeanor" (178). The implication is even more ironic because the man, as he attempted to quote Pope, did not intend it to be so.

The man refers to the woman's attraction to other women as "vice" (Hemingway 3) and then, when she objects, as "perversion" (3). At first, the man continues to allude to the thought of the woman's lesbian relationship as being perverse and repulsing. The irony again comes when the woman tells the man "we're made up of all sorts of things. You know that. You've used it well enough," (3) enlightening him to the fact that he too has perverse tendencies. When the woman says this to the man, he realizes she is speaking the truth, and something clicks inside of him. This is when the sea change occurs within the man, and he agrees to let the woman leave, asking her to tell him "all about it" (3) when she returns.

As the woman exits the café, the man recognizes the great change within himself and says to the bartender, "'I'm a different man, James. . . . You see in me quite a different man'" (Hemingway 4). Ironically, the bartender sees only the physical changes of the "brown young man" (3). And, ironically, the change that has occurred within the man, that seems to be of so much importance to him, is of no importance to the barman. The barman could care less about the ending of the young couple's relationship, and the irony is apparent as he absently says to the man, "You look very well, sir. . . . You must have had a very nice summer" (4).

Through his use of irony in "The Sea Change," Hemingway focuses "upon the inner workings of man's dilemmas" (Defalco 179) to express the theme of homosexuality. Hemingway used irony not only in titling his work, but through irony, was able to show how the man in his story "embraced vice" (178). The use of irony also enabled Hemingway to portray the man's perverse tendencies and to show that what is important to one person, and may constitute a great change in his life, is of little meaning to another. In essence, the entire point of Hemingway's story is that life is ironic.

Works Cited

Defalco, Joseph. The Hero in Hemingway's Short Stories. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh

Press, 1968.

Hemingway, Ernest. "The Sea Change." Handout. UTPA Edinburg, TX. 24 Apr. 1998.

Williams, Wirt. The Tragic Art of Ernest Hemingway. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1981.









			Rachel Nichols Rhetoric The Ironies of Life "The Sea Change," by Ernest Hemingway is the story of a young woman's change in her sexual preferences and a man's change of his perspectives on that issue. Hemingway wrote "The Sea Change" in a very matter-of-fact tone, using the third person objective point of view, thus limiting the narrator of the story to telling only facts as they happen. The characters are allowed to tell their story themselves. No opinions other than those of the two couples in the café and the barman are expressed. Because of this, the reader is left to draw his own conclusions from the dialogue. Upon first reading "The Sea Change," not much appears to be happening. As Wirt Williams, author of The Tragic Art of Ernest Hemingway, puts it, "The Sea Change" is another one of those "Hemingway stories that might be called anecdotal if one reads it carelessly" (99). After taking a closer look though, the reader will notice the underlying theme of homosexuality written in the "signatory form" (99) of Hemingway. This theme of homosexuality is conveyed to the reader through Hemingway's use of irony in the dialogue. Irony is used in several places and in several ways throughout "The Sea Change." Even the title exhibits irony in that "The Sea Change" can be looked at as a cliche meaning a big change that is occurring within the man and woman. Or, the title can be looked at as expressing the physical changes that have happened to the couple as a result of spending the entire summer at the beach. Of most importance to the reader in understanding the theme are the changes occurring within the couple. Joseph Defalco, author of The Hero in Hemingway's Short Stories, says it is ironic that the man, who spends much of the story denouncing vice, actually "has embraced vice, not the woman" (178). This becomes apparent when the man misquotes "An Essay on Man" by Alexander Pope: Vice is a monster of so frightful mein, As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace. (Qtd. In Defalco 178) When the man in Hemingway's story tries to quote Pope, he winds-up saying "'Vice is a monster of such fearful mein,' . . . that to be something or other needs but to be seen. Then we something, something, then embrace" (3). The man's misquotation alters the meaning of Pope's passage, and by doing so "it adds a sharp, ironic twist to the narrative" (Defalco 178). The way the man recalls the passage suggests that in the end "'we embrace,' which would imply forgiveness of another's misdemeanor" (178). The implication is even more ironic because the man, as he attempted to quote Pope, did not intend it to be so. The man refers to the woman's attraction to other women as "vice" (Hemingway 3) and then, when she objects, as "perversion" (3). At first, the man continues to allude to the thought of the woman's lesbian relationship as being perverse and repulsing. The irony again comes when the woman tells the man "we're made up of all sorts of things. You know that. You've used it well enough," (3) enlightening him to the fact that he too has perverse tendencies. When the woman says this to the man, he realizes she is speaking the truth, and something clicks inside of him. This is when the sea change occurs within the man, and he agrees to let the woman leave, asking her to tell him "all about it" (3) when she returns. As the woman exits the café, the man recognizes the great change within himself and says to the bartender, "'I'm a different man, James. . . . You see in me quite a different man'" (Hemingway 4). Ironically, the bartender sees only the physical changes of the "brown young man" (3). And, ironically, the change that has occurred within the man, that seems to be of so much importance to him, is of no importance to the barman. The barman could care less about the ending of the young couple's relationship, and the irony is apparent as he absently says to the man, "You look very well, sir. . . . You must have had a very nice summer" (4). Through his use of irony in "The Sea Change," Hemingway focuses "upon the inner workings of man's dilemmas" (Defalco 179) to express the theme of homosexuality. Hemingway used irony not only in titling his work, but through irony, was able to show how the man in his story "embraced vice" (178). The use of irony also enabled Hemingway to portray the man's perverse tendencies and to show that what is important to one person, and may constitute a great change in his life, is of little meaning to another. In essence, the entire point of Hemingway's story is that life is ironic. Works Cited Defalco, Joseph. The Hero in Hemingway's Short Stories. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1968. Hemingway, Ernest. "The Sea Change." Handout. UTPA Edinburg, TX. 24 Apr. 1998. Williams, Wirt. The Tragic Art of Ernest Hemingway. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State UP, 1981.