29 pages • 58 minutes read
Ernest HemingwayA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter.
‘It’s five o’clock.’
‘The clock says twenty minutes past five,’ the second man said.
‘It’s twenty minutes fast.’
‘Oh, to hell with the clock,’ the first man said. ‘What have you got to eat?’”
The two hitmen engage in a heated exchange with George as he can’t yet serve them their desired meal. This highlights their arrogance and inclination toward violence, shedding light on their menacing personalities. Moreover, the clock introduced here is a potent symbol of the unreliability of expectations, conveying the overarching theme of Disillusionment With Reality and sowing confusion and frustration among the characters.
“‘Got anything to drink?’ Al asked.
‘Silver beer, bevo, ginger-ale,’ George said.
‘I mean you got anything to drink?’
‘Just those I said.’”
This exchange between Al and George offers historical context. Al indirectly requests alcohol, while George has only non-alcoholic drinks to offer, revealing that the story is set during the Prohibition era when alcoholic beverages were illegal. This interaction also characterizes the two hitmen as criminals who disregard the restrictions of the era.
“‘What do you do here at nights?’
‘They eat the big dinner,’ his friend said. ‘They all come here and eat the big dinner.’”
The two hitmen cynically suggest that the town of Summit’s only activity of note is dining at Henry’s lunchroom, portraying it as a tranquil place. However, this sense of safety and tranquility is abruptly disrupted by the ominous presence of the killers.
By Ernest Hemingway
A Clean, Well-Lighted Place
Ernest Hemingway
Across the River and into the Trees
Ernest Hemingway, Sally Hepworth
A Day's Wait
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A Farewell to Arms
Ernest Hemingway, Conn Iggulden
A Moveable Feast
Ernest Hemingway, Terry Goodkind
A Very Short Story
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Big Two-Hearted River
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Cat in the Rain
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For Whom the Bell Tolls
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Green Hills of Africa
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Hills Like White Elephants
Ernest Hemingway, Kristin Cast, P.C. Cast
In Another Country
Ernest Hemingway, Francine Rivers
Indian Camp
Ernest Hemingway
In Our Time
Ernest Hemingway
Old Man at the Bridge
Ernest Hemingway
Soldier's Home
Ernest Hemingway, Olivia Goldsmith
Solider's Home
Ernest Hemingway, Guy Kawasaki
Ten Indians
Ernest Hemingway, Erin Watt
The Garden of Eden
Ernest Hemingway
The Nick Adams Stories
Ernest Hemingway