Strengthen Body Parts In In Another Country, By Hemingway

During World War I, thousands of soldiers suffered from loss of limbs as well as severely damaged body parts. In the story “In Another Country,” Nick Adams is wounded from World War I, and in his rehabilitation, he comes to meet an Italian major whose hand has been extremely damaged. With the damage to this major’s hand, he can no longer perform his peacetime job of fencing. While the major is going through rehab, he finds out his wife has died of pneumonia, horrifying him and surprising everyone else. Although the Italian major continues through his treatment, he is utterly defeated because he falters under pressure and loses hope. The Hemingway Code states that you must have grace under pressure and stay calm in the face of adversity. While the major is in rehab, he begins shouting at Nick, “What will you do when the war is over if it is over?”(Hemingway 271). Nick proceeds to say he will get married in which the major replies that, “A man must not marry”(Hemingway 271). Nick asks him why and the major says that if a man marries, he will lose everything. The major has a breakdown, screaming and shouting at Nick and charging out of the room, without completing his rehab. This scene shows that the major cannot fulfill the Hemingway Code because he does not keep his grace. He no longer shows the

He no longer has faith in the rehab machines or his life. He says, “I cannot resign myself”(Hemingway 272). He then looks past Nick and begins to cry. He leaves the room, unable to contain himself and keep grace in front of his other fallen comrades. He continues his rehab but without hope. Every time the major comes to rehab, he only stares out the window, showing that he has no hope anymore. The major continues his rehab hopelessly knowing he won’t get his hand back and he also knows he won’t fence ever again. Instead of staying strong in the face of this pain, he loses hope and gives up, breaking the