Perspectives

Literary period

Published in 1927, the short story is part of the literary movement we call Modernism, which was popular in fiction writing between the 1910s and the 1960s. It also belongs to the particular style known as Minimalism.

“The Killers” shows many signs of being a Modernist work, which are recognised through themes, context, and narrative techniques. In “The Killers”, Ernest Hemingway explores themes like loss of innocence and disillusionment, which are themes frequently encountered in Modernist works.

In terms of narrative techniques, “The Killers” focuses on the main character’s perception of the world and on how the events in the story affect it. It also uses plenty of symbolism and irony to keep readers engaged and create a complex reality without explicitly giving many details about what happens in th...