Journal #18

Journal 18 -“In Another Country”

1. What is the significance of the story’s title?

It shows isolation, and someone being an outsider. He tries to learn the Italian language, but he finds it much harder once he looks more into the language. It shows that being somewhere for a short time may be easier but once you have to really immerse yourself. Also, they are all outsiders because of their injuries.

2. Which character do you think best represents the “Hemingway hero”? Why?

The fencer bests represents the major because he had so many hardships in his life with the loss of his wife and is angry and resentment. He realizes that his hand will not get better, but he still is going to keep fighting to get better and make his hand as best as possible.

3. What can you infer about the photographs the doctor hangs up? What is the significance of the major’s reaction?

The pictures were fake, but he uses them to motivate the people in the machines. They don’t realize the lengths they have to go to, to rehabilitate themselves so he puts the pictures up to show that they can do it, and that they can rehabilitate them fully. The major’s reaction of not really responding to his questions about the pictures shows that he knows that he's not going to get better. He is sort of hopeless, and it goes back to his own world of isolation.