Henry’s lunch-room. He is described as an obedient, kind, and a sensitive character.
In this story, Nick had a good personality. Nick tried to persuade Ole Andreson as a victim to run away from the killers who wanted to kill him. This
story also told in that time there were still so many the killers.
3.3 The Third Short Story “A Way You’ll Never Be”
The story started when Nick was coming along the road on his bicycle from Fornaci. He went through the field and a town which had a recent battle site.
In the field, human corpses laid down alone or in clumps in the high grass of field, stick bombs, helmets, rifles, and many more about the war equipments. In the
town, the houses were broken by shelling and the street had much rubble of plaster, mortar and there were broken beams, broken tiles, and many holes, some
of them yellow edged from the mustard gas. There was no one in the town at all. When he just went through a recent battle site, he did not see no one since he left
Fornaci. He was just alone. He only saw guns hidden under screens of mulberry leaves to the left of the road. Then, Nick continued his journey and arrived at the
mud bank. In there, he met a young lieutenant. Nick was a brave man when he refused the young lieutenant’s command to
keep his identity. In the mud bank, Nick saw a young lieutenant who pointed a pistol at him and tries to keep Nick’s identity card but Nick refused it, as quoted
below: “Who are you?”
Nick told him. “How I know this?”
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“Nick showed him tessera with photograph and identification and the seal of the third army. He took hold of it.
“I will keep this” “You will not,” Nick said. “Give me back the card and put your gun
away. There. In the holster”. Ernest Hemingway, 1966:404
Then, Nick asked to the young lieutenant to take him to his company commander. After had a hard conversation, finally had known that the company commander
was Captain Paravicini, Nick’s old friend. When Nick was taken to battalion headquarters, Nick saw the young lieutenant’s pistol and made Nick’ nervous, as
quoted below: “Put it away,” he said. “There’s the whole river them and you.”
“If I thought you were a spy I would shoot you now,” the second lieutenant said.
“Come on,” said Nick. “Let us go to the battalion.” This officer made him nervous.”
Ernest Hemingway, 1966:405
Nick saw Captain Paravicini in the dugout. In the dogout, there were table, bunk and some soldiers. Nick told him about his duty that was supposed to move
around and let the enemy saw the American uniform. Nick has traumatic experience. After Nick tells his duty to Captain
Paravicini, they were talking about their past. Nick and Captain Paravicini said that they liked drunk. Suddenly, Nick remembered completely all events in the
past and did not want to continue it, as quoted below: “Let’s not talk about how I am,” Nick said. “It’s subject I know too
much about to want to think about it any more.” Ernest Hemingway, 1966:407
Paravicini asked Nick to take a nap and said that it was not battalion headquarters as they used to know it. They are just waiting to be pulled out of there.
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Nick took a nap at a bunk. He remembered about the events in the past. He was very disappointed that he felt this way and Captain Paravicini knew what he
felt about. Then, he remembered about the platoon of the class of 1899 with Paravicini. When he remembered it all, he felt like crazy person. Nick was lost in
mind. He also remembered about the girl Gilby Delys, as quoted below: “And there was Gaby Delys, oddly enough, with feathers on; you
called me baby doll a year ago tadada you said that I was rather nice to know tadada with feathers on, with feathers off, the great Gaby, and
my name’s Harry Pilcer, too, …” Ernest Hemingway, 1966:408
It was not only that, Nick also has a traumatic experience in the past. It was not about the front but that was about a girl, Gaby Delys, as quoted below:
“Then Paris part came earlier and he was not frightened of it except when she had gone off with some one else and the fear that they might
take the same driver twice. That was what frightened about. Never about the front.”
Ernest Hemingway, 1966:409
After Nick remembered about his past, he sat up. Nick stared of the adjutant, the signalers and two runners near the door. Actually, Nick was a kind
person. He tried to offer something to them, but he could not because he did not bring anything except his uniform, as quoted below:
“I regret the absence of the chocolate, the postal-cards and cigarette, he said. “I am, however, wearing the uniform”
Ernest Hemingway, 1966:409
To calm down him self, Nick and the adjutant were talking about their experiences. Nick told that he was an American and ordered to show the uniform.
Next, Nick talks about grasshoppers what they call in American as locusts. At the
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end of his story he gives a good advice to adjutant, the signalers, and the two runners, as quoted below:
“Then, I would like to close on this note. In the words of that great soldier and gentlemen, Sir Henry Wilson: Gentlemen, either you must
govern or you must be governed. Let me repeat it. Gentlemen, there is one thing I would like you to take with you as you leave this room.
Gentlemen, either you must govern or you must be governed. That is all, gentlemen. Good day.”
Ernest Hemingway, 1966:412
Para was coming down the line of the sunken road to the dogout with the two runners. Para asked Nick to come back to Fornaci and said that there was not
a duty for him in the front line. The day was still hot, so Paravicini said to Nick to take a nap again. When Nick take a nap and closed his eyes, he started to
remember about the past again. Suddenly, Nick decided to comeback at that time. Para tried to forbid Nick because the day was hot and he worried about Nick’s
condition but Nick consistent with his decision. Nick also did not want to make difficulties for Para when Para offered someone to accompany Nick back to
Fornaci, as quoted below: “It still hot to ride,” Captain Paravicini said.
“You don’t need to worry,” Nick said. ” I’m alright now for a quite while. I had one then but it was easy. They’re getting much better. I
can tell when I’m going to have one because I talk too much.” “I’ll send you a runner with you.”
“I’d rather you didn’t. I know the way.” “You’ll be back soon?”
“Absolutely.” “Let me send
──” “No,” said Nick. “As a mark of confidence”
“Well, ciaou then” “Ciaou,” said Nick
Ernest Hemingway, 1966:414
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In this short story, Nick was an ex-American soldier. He went from Fornaci to demonstrate the American uniform in the front line. He was described
as a brave, kind, wise and had traumatic about his past during the war. This story tells about that the war will make someone has a traumatic of it. It was because
most of the war will give the bad effect for who had felt it.
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4. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
