Which author’s style could best be described as crisp, clear, and clean?

• A. Zora Neale Hurston
• B. Ernest Hemingway
• C. James Thurber
• D. F. Scott Fitzgerald

Answer: (B)

Style that is crisp, clear, and clean hinges on concise, economical prose and direct diction. Ernest Hemingway embodies this approach: short sentences, plain nouns and verbs, minimal adjectives, and a focus on observable action rather than ornate description. This combination creates immediacy and clarity, letting meaning emerge from what is stated and what is left unsaid. The result feels disciplined and precise, with a steady, unembellished rhythm that reads quickly and efficiently.

Context helps: Zora Neale Hurston often uses vivid dialect and lush imagery; James Thurber leans into humor, irony, and playful exaggeration; F. Scott Fitzgerald favors graceful, elaborate prose with metaphor and social critique. These differences show how other writers achieve distinct effects, whereas the crisp, clean style described here is most closely associated with Hemingway.