“I’ve tried to reduce profanity but I reduced so much profanity when writing the book that I’m afraid not much could come out. Perhaps we will have to consider it simply as a profane book and hope that the next book will be less profane or perhaps more sacred.”
- July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961
- American
- Novelist, poet, journalist
- Wrote masterpieces such as “The Old Man and the Sea,” “A Farewell to Arms,” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954
Quote
“I’ve tried to reduce profanity but I reduced so much profanity when writing the book that I’m afraid not much could come out. Perhaps we will have to consider it simply as a profane book and hope that the next book will be less profane or perhaps more sacred.”
Explanation
In this quote, Hemingway humorously reflects on the balance between authenticity and restraint in his writing, particularly when it comes to the use of profanity. He acknowledges that while he sought to limit the use of harsh or crude language in his book, he may have overcorrected to the point where the story seemed to lose some of its edge or emotional rawness. The reference to the book being “profane” highlights the complexity of writing; sometimes, language—whether clean or coarse—is an essential part of capturing the grittiness of life. However, Hemingway also seems to imply that a writer can be too cautious, and in trying to sanitize his language, he may have inadvertently stripped away some of the authenticity or vitality from the narrative. The hope for the next book being “less profane or perhaps more sacred” suggests an ongoing quest for balance between the worldly and the transcendent aspects of life.
Hemingway’s relationship with language, including profanity, was a central part of his writing style. While his works often dealt with themes of war, love, loss, and personal struggle, the language he used was deliberately sparse and direct, avoiding unnecessary flourishes. At the same time, Hemingway was aware that language could be a tool for both raw expression and refinement. In novels like A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls, profanity and coarse language are used strategically to convey the emotional intensity of the characters’ experiences, especially in the context of war. The idea of reducing profanity in his writing points to Hemingway’s constant effort to shape his style without losing the essence of his characters and the world they inhabit.
In the modern context, this quote speaks to the broader debate over language in art and literature. Writers and creators often face the dilemma of how much to rely on explicit language to capture the realism of human experience versus maintaining a certain level of decorum or refinement in their work. The question of whether to include or avoid profanity has become more prominent in contemporary literature, film, and even social media, where language can both reflect societal norms and challenge them. Hemingway’s acknowledgment of this tension serves as a reminder that the tone and word choice in any work—whether profane, sacred, or somewhere in between—must align with the story’s authenticity and purpose.
