The Final Days of Ernest Hemingway: A Glimpse into the Troubled End of a Literary Giant

Ernest Hemingway survived through anthrax, malaria, pneumonia, dysentery, skin cancer, hepatitis, anemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, two plane crashes, a ruptured kidney, a ruptured spleen, a ruptured liver, a crushed vertebra, a fractured skull, and more.

But on July 2, 1961, the Nobel Prize-winning author, adventurer, war correspondent, bullfighter, drinker and all-round macho man, died on this day. His fourth wife, Mary, said that he killed himself accidentally while cleaning his double-barrelled 12-gauge shotgun.

Was it an unintentional event? The death of the 61-year-old public figure has been a subject of controversy ever since the tragic shooting at his residence in Idaho. Over the years, writers, researchers, and even psychiatrists have delved into this enigma. In 2006, American psychiatrist Christopher D. Martin remarked, "The various factors contributing to Hemingway’s deteriorating health towards the end of his life are overwhelming." He identified bipolar mood disorder, depression, chronic alcoholism, repetitive traumatic brain injuries, and the onset of psychosis as key elements.

Some analysts have suggested that Hemingway's issues, including depression, may have originated in 1928 when his father, Clarence, took his own life by gunshot. The Hemingway family history reveals a tragic pattern, with his grandfather, brother, sister, and granddaughter all having died by suicide. Furthermore, the Hemingway lineage is also marked by the hereditary condition of hemochromatosis. In 2010, Swiss scientist Sebastian Dieguez argued that Hemingway's documented behaviours and symptoms were misinterpreted, proposing that his death was not accidental but a suicide triggered by the untreated disease-induced suffering.

Hemochromatosis is a rare iron-overloading disorder that causes internal damage of joints and organs, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, and depression. It is also known as the Celtic Curse, and when it goes untreated can cause severe pain, suffering, and death. It is worse when mixed with the kind of excessive drinking in which Hemingway frequently indulged. Around 1960, Hemingway experienced a significant setback in his physical condition when he discovered that he was no longer able to write. Instead of words flowing, he encountered a worsening depression, as noted by English writer and researcher John Walsh.

During the spring of 1961, Hemingway was requested to provide a single sentence for a commemorative book celebrating John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Regrettably, he was unable to fulfill the request and informed his close friend and biographer, A.E. Hotchner.: "It just won't come anymore," and wept. Walsh continued: “Building and sustaining the image of ‘Hemingway the Man's Man’ took courage and determination, but it was something he needed to do – and when it dwindled, along with the all-important capacity to write, he had no answer except to go the same way as his father.”

He felt anxious about his finances, worried that he might never be able to go back to Cuba to retrieve the manuscripts he had stored in a bank vault, and longed for his home, his books, and his life there. He started to become paranoid, convinced that the FBI was monitoring his movements in Ketchum. Mary was unable to look after her husband, and it was unacceptable for a man of Hemingway's era to acknowledge that he was suffering from mental illness. By the end of November, Saviers arranged for him to be taken to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota under the guise of receiving treatment for hypertension. To maintain his privacy, he was admitted under Saviers's name.

Meyers notes that Hemingway's treatment at the Mayo Clinic was shrouded in secrecy but confirms that he underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) up to 15 times in December 1960 and was discharged in a deteriorated state in January 1961. Reynolds obtained Hemingway's medical records from the Mayo Clinic, which indicate 10 ECT sessions. The physicians in Rochester informed Hemingway that his depressive condition, which was being addressed, might have been triggered by his prolonged use of Reserpine and Ritalin. Regarding the ECT treatment, Hemingway informed Hotchner,"What is the sense of ruining my head and erasing my memory, which is my capital, and putting me out of business? It was a brilliant cure, but we lost the patient."

In January 1961, he was sent back home, described by Meyers as being "in ruins". When asked to write a tribute to President Kennedy in February, he struggled to produce more than a few sentences after a week of effort. A few months later, on April 21, Mary discovered him in the kitchen with a shotgun. She contacted Saviers, who then had Hemingway admitted to the Sun Valley Hospital under sedation. Once the weather improved, Saviers flew back to Rochester with his patient. During that visit, Hemingway underwent three electroshock treatments.

He was released at the end of June and was home in Ketchum on June 30. Two days later he "quite deliberately" shot himself with his favourite shotgun in the early morning hours of July 2, 1961.Meyers writes that he unlocked the basement storeroom where his guns were kept, went upstairs to the front entrance foyer,

"pushed two shells into the twelve-gauge Boss shotgun... put the end of the barrel into his mouth, pulled the trigger and blew out his brains."

Upon the authorities' arrival, Mary was sedated and taken to the hospital. The following day, upon returning home, she cleaned the house and managed the funeral and travel arrangements. According to Bernice Kert, she didn't believe she was lying when she informed the press that his death was accidental. Five years later, in an interview, Mary confirmed that he had actually shot himself. Family and friends travelled to Ketchum for the funeral, which was conducted by the local Catholic priest who believed the death was accidental. An altar boy fainted near the casket during the funeral, prompting Hemingway's brother Leicester to remark, "It appeared to me that Ernest would have approved of everything."

In his final years, Hemingway exhibited behaviour reminiscent of his father before his suicide. There is a possibility that his father had hereditary hemochromatosis, a condition characterized by the excessive build up of iron in the body leading to mental and physical decline. Medical records from 1991 revealed that Hemingway was diagnosed with hemochromatosis in early 1961. Tragically, both his sister Ursula and his brother Leicester also took their own lives. Additionally, Hemingway's health was further compromised by his persistent heavy drinking.

Ernest Hemingway's death was a profound loss, but his literary legacy endures. His works continue to be celebrated for their stylistic innovation and emotional depth. The final days of his life, while tragic, highlight the complex interplay between genius and torment. Hemingway's struggles with mental illness and his ultimate decision to end his life bring attention to the importance of mental health, particularly among those who might seem invincible to the outside world.

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Sources

1. Borrero, Roberto. “Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Life.” Harvard Review.

2. Meyers, Jeffrey. “Hemingway: A Biography.” New York Times.

3. Hemingway, Mary. “How It Was.” Simon & Schuster.

4. Reynolds, Michael. “Hemingway: The Final Years.” W.W. Norton & Company.

5. “Ernest Hemingway Biography.” Biography.com.

6. “Hemingway’s FBI File.” National Archives.

7. “The Decline of Ernest Hemingway.” The Guardian.

8. Hotchner, A.E. “Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir.” Random House.

9. “Ernest Hemingway: A Tragic End.” PBS American Masters.

10. “Hemingway’s Final Days.” The Atlantic.

11. Kert, Bernice. “The Hemingway Women.” Norton & Company.

12. “The Hemingway Papers.” University of Chicago Library.

13. “Hemingway’s Legacy.” Literary Hub.

14. “Understanding Hemingway’s Mental Health Struggles.” Mental Health America.