"From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters"

Nadine Gordimer's reflection on Ernest Hemingway's stories highlights a profound literary method: the art of communicating depth through what stays unmentioned. This remark underscores a vital aspect of fiction writing, where the unsaid can bring as much, if not more, weight than the spoken.

Hemingway is renowned for his "iceberg theory" or the "theory of omission", where the surface information in a story are simply the idea of the iceberg, and the deeper meaning lies below, undetectable yet strongly present. Gordimer's insight suggests that she learned to listen beneath her own narratives to catch this subtlety, enabling the silence between words to communicate complex feelings and tensions.

In storytelling, what characters pick to leave out or leave unsaid can expose their inmost fears, desires, and disputes. It is in these gaps where readers are welcomed to engage actively with the text, piecing together the full story from the subtle clues supplied. This technique appreciates the intelligence of the reader, motivating an interactive experience where readers can explore the mental and psychological layers of the characters.

Gordimer's stories, similar to Hemingway's, are rich with social and political undertones that mirror the complexities of human experience. By focusing on the unspoken, both authors develop an area for readers to assess wider themes such as identity, morality, and societal standards. This makes their work resonate more deeply as readers find meanings in the nuances and silences of the characters' interactions.

In essence, Gordimer's remark is a testament to the power of restraint in literature. By listening for what her characters don't state, she crafts narratives that are more authentic and poignant, enabling the unmentioned to go beyond words and end up being an effective force within her storytelling. Through this technique, both Hemingway and Gordimer manage to catch the unarticulated essence of human experience, making their stories ageless and generally engaging.