Once, in a physical science class, my professor showed the students a pictorial diagram of the three-pronged iceberg that sank the Titanic. One of my peers immediately asked, “How could this small iceberg sink a huge ship?” » My teacher let the class debate for a moment before zooming out on the diagram to reveal a huge mass of ice beneath the water's surface. She then explained that less than 10 percent of an iceberg sits above the water surface. Ernest Hemingway models his writing in the shape of an iceberg. Hemingway's writing style, called "iceberg theory", discloses the facts essential to understanding the plot without explicitly stating the underlying structure, thus allowing the reader to feel the details of the story . Hemingway demonstrates the “iceberg theory” in his memoir Moveable Feast. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In an example from Moveable Feast, Hemingway uses the "iceberg theory" to reveal a character's disposition through symbolism. This theory is prevalent in Hemingway's comparison of Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda to that of a hawk. Hemingway said, “Zelda had the eyes of a hawk…” (Hemingway 154). In this reference, Hemingway helps the reader visualize Zelda's physical attributes and mental makeup without directly expressing her appearance or state of mind. Because hawks generally have black, piercing eyes, the eyes almost give the hawk a feeling of emptiness; similarly, the reader can imagine the emptiness in Zelda's mind by visualizing the emptiness behind her eyes. After Zelda's peculiar statement that a celebrity named Al Jolson was greater than Jesus, Hemingway said, "It was only Zelda's secret that she shared with me, as a hawk might share something with a man." But hawks do not share” (160). In this passage, Hemingway provides the audience with vital information regarding the character of Zelda. However, the reader must peer beneath the surface of Hemingway's words in order to fully grasp his underlying message. The public is still unaware of Zelda's secret, but it is clear from Zelda's unusual comparison that her sanity appears to be in question. The reader then infers that Hemingway inferred that Zelda's secret was her lack of mental stability. Since Hemingway describes Zelda as a hawk, the audience may interpret the phrase "But hawks do not share" as also being translated as "But Zelda does not share." Analyzing the chapter, we can see that Zelda is greatly hindering Fitzgerald's work, so the text could mean that Zelda is selfishly distracting Fitzgerald from his writing, preventing him from sharing his work with the world. Using the “iceberg theory,” Hemingway effortlessly communicates Zelda’s character by simply comparing her to a hawk and letting the reader explore the depth of her words. Hemingway also uses the “iceberg theory” to reveal hidden tones and messages important to the story. The theory emerges in one of Hemingway's discussions with Fitzgerald. After Hemingway and Fitzgerald's conversation in a café, Hemingway notes: "We both knocked on wood at the café?" table and the waiter came to see what we wanted. But what is it that we didn't want him, nor anyone else, nor to touch wood or marble, like this coffee? the table top was, could ever bring us. But we didn't know it that night and.