12/12/2024
Before our trip to Paris, I began reading Hemingway's A Moveable Feast. It's an engaging exploration of his Paris years, and I took notes as I read. One passage came to me as something I didn't know before:
Discussing homosexuality, masculinity and survival with Gertrude Stein, Hemingway said: "Under questioning I tried to tell Miss Stein that when you were a boy and moved in the company of men, you had to be prepared to kill a man, know how to do it and really know that you would do it in order not to be interfered with. That term was accrochable. If you knew you would kill, other people sensed it very quickly and you were let alone; but there were certain situations you could not allow yourself to be force into or trapped into."
This reflects a harsh reality of Hemingway's era—a world where boys in rough environments had to exude strength to avoid harm. It emphasizes survival through deterrence and readiness, revealing the danger and the precariousness of living among violent, uncivilized forces.
A Chinese saying for this, “弱肉强食” (Ruò ròu qiáng shí), means: "The weak are the prey of the strong." This perfectly encapsulates the primal, survival-driven dynamics Hemingway describes, where vulnerability risk being assaulted by the strong and physical strength is essential for self-preservation. It describes the harsh reality of environments where power and readiness to act determine one's survival.
While the world has changed significantly since Hemingway's time, dangers and "wolves" still exist for vulnerable individuals. Certain city areas remain risky, particularly for the young and unprotected. In some cases, projecting strength continues to be a strategy for personal safety, and vigilance is always wise.
Fast forward to today, Hemingway's insights on survival resonate in many war-torn regions. Where societal norms collapse, the law of the jungle becomes the law of the land, perpetuating violence, displacement, and fear—underscoring the ongoing need for vigilance and protection for the vulnerable.