Looking at the Past

Nostalgia as Technique in The Naked and the Dead and For Whom the Bell Tolls

Abstract

Nostalgia is a contested word that evokes numerous, often conflicting, definitions, but most often implies a simplistic, romantic look at the past. Nostalgia is a central component in enabling individuals to create worldviews, while also discovering ways to maneuver within society. From this viewpoint, nostalgia can enlighten and provide nuance as one interprets the past. Norman Mailer and Ernest Hemingway use nostalgia in The Naked and the Dead and For Whom the Bell Tolls as a literary technique to add additional interpretive layers to their fiction. These authors expand on the term and demonstrate its potential in advancing historical insight.