"In the fall the war was always there, but we did not go to it."
This short story deals with Nick Adams, a reoccurring character in Hemingway's stories, and his time in an Italian hospital, where he tried to rehabilitate his leg. During this time, he meets others injured in war. Most brag about the medals they received; Nick, however, feels that he cannot really associate with them in that way because he got his metal more so because he was an American (as he was injured in an accident). On the other hand, there is the Major, who has three medals but does not brag about them, as the Hunting Hawks do. He displays a kind of "code hero" that contrasts with Nick's newbiness. He stresses discipline, coming to the clinic every day and attempting to teach Nick the proper Italian grammar. At the end of the story, we find out that the Major's lashing out at Nick's thoughts of marriage stemmed from the fact that his fiance had recently died: This left a sort of depressing effect of Nick.
Analysis
I guess the relationship between the Major and Nick could parallel that of the mythic heroic archetype in that the Major appears to be guiding Nick; this, however, is not fully clear in this portion of the progression of Nick Adams' life. The great attention to detail and his feelings of the medal he received seems to create this depressed mood. He sees the medal as more of a handout than something he earned. This could be from the fact that the title is "In Another Country" as Nick was American fighting in Italy.
Questions to Consider
- Who's story is it: Nick's or the Major's?
- Who do the character's represent?
- Is society bounded by the use of machines, as they are necessary for war and medicine/rehabilitation?
Reoccurring Ideas
- Bravery
- "Code Hero"
- Wound
- Death
- Medals/Honor
3 comments:
Just a quick question - where in the story does it say the guy's name is Nick?
Also, Dan, could you explain what you meant by a "Code Hero"?
Nick's name is not directly mentioned in the story, but critics believe that he is a character seen in a few hemingway short stories, such as the one Laz mentioned, The Big Two-Heart River. They say that the character development is similar or something.
I forgot to explain that. In numerous Hemingway stories, he places characters that act's to a certain code: not talking about what one believes (his bravery and to an extent his talk on marriage), and being a man of action and not theory/words (not bragging about his medals).
Oh.. link to more detail on Code Hero.
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