A DAY’S WAIT 1

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961) was a famous American journalist, novelist and short story writer. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. His characters represent a degree of authenticity that attract the critical attention of the readers. He acted as a reporter on the Spanish Civil War, and wrote his famous novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. In his later life, Hemingway committed suicide. ‘A Day’s Wait’ is about a boy, who is down with fever and he is having strange visionary experiences. He is thinking of his own impending death. However, his Papa helps him come out of this situation.

He came into the room to shut the windows while we were still in and I saw he looked ill. He was shivering, his face was white and he walked slowly as though it ached to move. ‘What’s the matter, Schatz?’  -   ‘I’ve got a headache.’  - ‘You better go back to bed.’  –  ‘No . I’m all right.’ -  ‘You go to bed. I’ll see you when I’m dressed.’ But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. When I put my hand on his forehead I knew he had a fever. ‘You go up to bed,’ I said, ‘you’re sick.’ -  ‘I’m all right,’ he said. When the doctor came he took the boy’s temperature. ‘What is it?’ I asked him. ‘One  hundred and two.’