The Battler by Ernest Hemingway
"The Battler" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that explores themes of violence, mental health, and the complexities of human connection through the experiences of a young man named Nick Adams. Set against the backdrop of a railroad in Michigan, Nick finds himself navigating a precarious situation after being thrown off a moving train. Injured and seeking refuge, he encounters Ad, a former lightweight boxing champion whose life has been marred by trauma and mental instability. Ad's physical scars and erratic behavior highlight the consequences of his past, while his interaction with Bugs, a caretaker figure, adds a further layer to the narrative.
As Nick engages with these men, the story delves into the struggles faced by those living on the fringes of society, showcasing their vulnerabilities and the bonds formed in dire circumstances. The dynamics between the characters reveal a complex interplay of power and vulnerability, particularly as Ad's unpredictable nature leads to a confrontation. Through this encounter, Hemingway invites readers to reflect on the nature of sanity, survival, and the often harsh realities faced by individuals who have fallen from grace. "The Battler" serves as a poignant commentary on isolation and the search for companionship in a world marked by struggle.
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The Battler by Ernest Hemingway
First published: 1925
Type of plot: Vignette
Time of work: The 1910's
Locale: Michigan
Principal Characters:
Nick Adams , a young roustaboutAd (Adolph) Francis , a punched-out former boxerBugs , an African American former trainer who looks after AdA railroad brakeman
The Story
Nick Adams has been riding the rails in Michigan. Essentially innocent and by his own admission not tough, he falls for the ploy of a railroad brakeman on the freight train on which he has hitched a ride. The brakeman spies Nick and tells him to come close because he has something for him. The something that the brakeman has for Nick is a hefty punch that catapults him off the moving train to the earth below. Nursing a black eye, Nick washes up in a nearby tamarack swamp, then makes his way along the roadbed toward Mancelona, some three or four miles distant. As he walks along the tracks he sees a small fire in the distance and heads toward it.
Nick approaches the fire cautiously, hidden by the night and by the beechwood forest in which he lurks. Seeing a man beside the fire, he approaches stealthily. When he gets closer, he greets the man, who looks up and asks him where he got his shiner. Nick then unfolds his story. The hobo has a badly mutilated face and has lost one ear. Nick stares at him so hard that he asks Nick whether he likes his face. Introducing himself as Ad—and later as Adolph Francis, a former lightweight champion of whom Nick has heard—he invites Nick to eat with him. He also announces that he is crazy and that he has a heart that beats only forty times a minute—which he insists on having Nick verify by taking his pulse as he counts to sixty.
Just as this ritual ends, a third man, Bugs, stumbles down the railroad embankment. Ad's erstwhile friend, Bugs, is black. Ad insists that Bugs is crazy too, and Bugs does not deny it. After verifying that Nick neither is nor ever was crazy and that he comes from Chicago, Bugs begins cooking ham and eggs in a skillet. Ad asks to use Nick's knife to cut the bread, but Bugs intervenes, warning Nick not to give his knife to Ad. Instead, Nick cuts six pieces of bread for the three of them.
After they eat, Ad becomes pensive and goes off into a world of his own. Bugs addresses him but elicits no response. Suddenly, Ad turns on Nick, demanding to know who the hell Nick thinks he is to come and eat his food and then get snotty when asked to lend his knife. Ad challenges Nick to a fight, which Nick tries to avert. Ad is determined, however, and is on the brink of punching Nick when Bugs approaches him from behind and knocks him out with a blackjack wrapped in cloth.
Bugs then explains that he looks after the punch-drunk former boxer, whose career ended when he and his female manager—to whom he bore a striking resemblance—got married, causing all sorts of speculation about incest. Ever since, Ad has lived the hobo life with Bugs nearby to save him from disaster. His former wife sends him money for his subsistence.
Bugs advises Nick that he can revive Ad whenever he wishes but that it would be best if he were not around when Ad regains consciousness. Giving Nick a sandwich to take with him, Bugs bids him farewell and revives Ad, giving him a cup of hot coffee to help him wake up.
Bibliography
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