Abridgment:
Nick Adams is a recurrent character and alter-ego in and of Ernest Hemingway’s famed short story serials chronicling the author’s coming of age in northern and upper peninsula Michigan. In The Battler, (1925) Nick has hopped a freight train, mainly, for fun and, supposedly, to make his way to and from some isolated villages doting the region.
He is caught and thrown off the train by the brakeman. During the scuffling and fall, Nick suffers a banged up knee and a black eye. He limps several miles down the tracks and spies a fire. Scrambling down the embankment he makes his way through the forest following the inviting glow. It is getting dark and the air is crisp.
In a clearing there is a small man in a wool hunter’s cap standing in front of the fire. Nick announces himself and walks into the camp. They exchange hellos and Nick is taken aback by the man’s flattened nose, crooked mouth; his eyes narrowed by edema and sunken into blotchy lumps. Nick tries to play off his surprise but the man is sensitive to the reaction.
“Don’t you like my pan?” the man asked.
Nick was embarrassed.
“Sure,” he said.
“Look here!” the man took off his cap.
He had only one ear. It was thickened and tight against the side of his head. Where the other ear
should have been there was a stump.
“Ever see one like that?”
“No,” said Nick. It made him a little sick.
“I could take it,” the man said. “Don’t you think I could take it, kid?”
“You bet!”
“They all bust their hands on me,” the little man said. “They couldn’t hurt me.”
It turns out that the man is washed up boxer who at one time was quite famous. His name is Adolf Francis, “call me Ad,” he says. Ad prods Nick about whether or not he recognizes his name. Nick acts like he does, but he’s never heard the name before and Ad senses it.
Although Ad is friendly enough there are undertones in their exchanges that make Nick uncomfortable. Then Ad confides that he is mentally ill. He comes right out and says so.
“Listen,” the little man said. “I’m not quite right.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m crazy.”
He put on his cap. Nick felt like laughing.
“You’re all right,” he said.
“No, I’m not. I’m crazy. Listen, you ever been crazy?”
“No,” Nick said. “How does it get you?”
“I don’t know,” Ad said. “When you got it you don’t know about it…”
Nick is relieved when an African American man enters the campsite. His name is Bugs and he has brought ham and eggs for dinner. Unlike the small squat boxer, Bugs is a tall man. He is soothing and polite; his voice, gentle and soft.
Bugs puts Nick at ease while at the same time taking command of the situation. He is the leader. The caretaker. He calls Nick Mr. Adams and Ad Mr. Francis.
Ad and Bugs invite Nick to eat dinner with them. Nick is ravished and readily accepts. Bugs begins to cook up the meal. But things turn sour when Bugs asks Nick to slice the bread. Ad spies Nick’s knife and asks to handle it. Bugs tells Nick to keep hold of his knife. This offends Ad, but he is not mad at Bugs. He takes out his frustration and embarrassment on Nick.
“Who the hell do you think you are? You’re a snotty bastard. You come in here where nobody asks you and eat a man’s food and when he asks to borrow a knife you get snotty.”
He glared at Nick, his face was white and his eyes almost out of sight under the cap.Nick stepped back. The little man came toward him slowly, stepping flat-footed forward, his left foot stepping forward, his right dragging up to it.
“Hit me,” he moved his head. “Try and hit me.”
“I don’t want to hit you.”
“You won’t get out of it that way. You’re going to take a beating, see? Come on and lead at me.”
“Cut it out,” Nick said.
“All right, then, you bastard.”
Unbeknownst to Ad, Bugs has stepped behind him wielding a blackjack–a small hand held bludgeon made of a lead weight and a leather strap. He strikes Ad in the head with it and the little man falls to the ground, out cold.
As Bugs tenderly cares for Ad, placing a folded jacket under his head and then bathing his face, he assures Nick that little man will be okay. He hates to have to resort to such harshness but sometimes that’s the only recourse when Ad gets out of control.
Then he goes on to tell Nick Ad’s story: Yes, Ad was a great boxer at one time; a handsome man who made a lot of money with his fists. He was extremely strong for his size and stubborn–he took too many beatings. It messed up his mind. Then, on top of that, his beloved wife and manager, who looked so much like Ad that she could have been his sister (in fact there were those who thought she was his sister) up and left him. All of this was too much for Ad to bear and he went off the deep end.
Bugs makes Nick a ham and egg sandwich and then asks him to leave the campsite.
“I can wake him up any time now, Mister Adams. If you don’t mind I wish you’d sort of pull out. I don’t like to not be hospitable, but it might disturb him back again to see you. I hate to have to thump him and it’s the only thing to do when he gets started. I have to sort of keep him away from people. You don’t mind, do you, Mister Adams?”
Nick walked away from the fire across the clearing to the railway tracks. Out of the range of the fire he listened. The low soft voice of the negro was talking. Nick could not hear the words. Then he heard the little man say, “I got an awful headache, Bugs.”
“You’ll feel better. Mister Francis,” the negro’s voice soothed. “Just you drink a cup of this hot coffee.”
Analysis:
The backdrop of The Battler is 1920’s America. Rugged individualism as a recognized philosophy had not been manifested but would be soon ratified by Herbert Hoover on the eve of an economic melt down known as The Great Depression. Yet, Hoover did not invent this concept, he merely put it into words: the individual is completely self reliant and therefore independent of any governmental assistance and or interference.
Ad and Bugs are the inconvenient residue of this uniquely American philosophy and way of life. Ad is mentally ill and disabled. Today we recognize his condition as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). It is prevalent in athletes that participate in sports such as football, soccer, boxing and hockey and those in the military who endure repeated blows to the head. People suffering from CTE have a myriad of neurological symptoms including poor impulse control, marked impulsivity, aggression, depression and paranoia.
Bugs is an African American making his way above the Mason-Dixon line (the demarcation between Northern and Southern United States.) On the surface things are significantly better for Blacks like Bugs who are not ensnared in the Jim Crow South. But their reality is actually quite similar to their down South brethren.
Racial violence sporadically erupts into deadly riots in cities like Chicago, Saint Louis, Baltimore and Tulsa as an illiterate white underclass competes with black laborers migrating from the oppression of the former Confederate states. Even in the best circumstances African Americans are marginalized, scapegoated and victimized. Above all they are expected to be subservient to whites.
Hemingway explores these mores in The Battler. It is written from Nick Adams’ perspective. Nick displays typical male teenage bravado when he grapples with himself after being kicked off the freight train. He curses the brakeman and vows vengeance on him. But when he meets Ad, he immediately defers to the little man and tries to placate him with agreeableness.
Nick is relieved when Bugs comes on the scene and though he is very cooperative deferential, his inner voice displays his prejudice. When he hears Bugs shout out hello and sees the big man moving in the shadows he thinks to himself only a “negro” sounds and moves like that.
Moreover as he observes the interaction between Ad and Bugs, Nick sometimes refers to Bugs within his inner voice with a racial slur, though he has no overt animosity to the man. This is especially evident when Bugs must take the upper hand with Ad. These are the attitudes and belief systems about white privilege and black subservience prevalent in 1920’s America, above and below the physical and overt line of racial demarcation into the psychological response of an ordinary young man who owes a black man, perhaps, his very life.
Great post 🙂 You write here like a literary historian with your analysis on timely topics relating to race, politics, physical and psychological health etc. for this story. Ernest Hemingway was quite a writer and truly one of the many greats of literature. I have an interesting question for you: If you were a film historian and you wanted to write a book about any film director you admire or adore, who would it be? You can choose more than one and If you can’t think of five names, just name one or two at the top of your head. Just out of curiosity. Anyway, keep up the great work as always and keep those comments coming 🙂
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Thanks John. I appreciate that. Now about your question…just off the top of my head…Billy Wilder would be my first choice. Then Demille. Then Fellini. Those are my top three. Then Scorsese. Then Dassin. Then Spielberg. Then Truffaut. I think all of them are really important to cinema. But if I could only write about one it would be Demille.
So, I fell asleep last night during Shutter Island, but I was enjoying it. I wasn’t expecting it to be so pleasantly noir. I finish it up tonight.
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Interesting choices 🙂 I can understand why one would want to write about Demille and a significant portion of that answer is due to him being one of (If not) the earliest of the king of spectacles. I am so glad to hear that you are loving Shutter Island so far 🙂 I can assure you right now that you are going to love the end result 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always and keep those comments coming 🙂
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You put the story into context with academic flair, Pam. From The Grapes of Wrath, to tales like this one, the depression era was well-served in literature, and on film.
‘Shutter Island’ has a big issue for me, in the lead actor. I haven’t rated DiCaprio as an actor since ‘Gilbert Grape’, and ‘This Boy’s Life’. I just don’t see why there is so much praise for his adult roles. I don’t get it at all. Like Julia Roberts. I don’t get her either.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thanks Pete. Yes, the depression era is my favorite period for literature. Tragedy spawns great stories.
As for DiCaprio, I disagree; as I do with your assessment of Ryan Gosling. I do agree that ‘Gilbert Grape’ was probably DiCaprio’s greatest role.
I think there maybe some disconnect with the American style of acting and the British style. Here’s what I mean: It could be argued –and I would be happy to make that argument–that Laurence Olivier is the greatest of all actors. If I were to make that argument I would point to two films–Marathon Man and Boys from Brazil. Absolute wonderful and diametrically opposed performances. Could Gosling do that? No. Could Clint Eastwood do that? No. Do I think both Eastwood and Gosling are really good actors? Yes. I do. Iconic. Nonetheless, I argue that today the American style is so chameleon like that it is akin to watching paint dry. There is no style. To me DiCaprio has style. Gosling has style. Yes, the great chameleon, Meryl Streep has style. I am a big fan of the British acting technique–Helen Mirren, Daniel Day Lewis, Idris Elba and the list goes on. But let’s hear it for Marlon Brando, Bette Davis and Sissy Spacek. Let’s hear it for style.
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Well-argued of course, Pam. I agree with many of your choices, but I will be almost impossible to convince about Leonardo, I’m afraid. Maybe it is a cultural thing, as you say. Two nations separated by the same language, and all that. But most of my favourite actors and actresses are (or were) Americans, so that doesn’t work. Perhaps it is a ‘youth-envy’ thing? But I doubt that too. I never try to convince anyone about the reasons for my dislike of the acting abilities of Leo, Julia Roberts, or any others, (including many British stalwarts like Bill Nighy) as I know it is a lost cause. It is just what it is, and I can’t get around it.
Always a pleasure to discuss such things with you though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Likewise Pete. I do agree with you on Julia Roberts. Not a bad actor, in my opinion but not great by any means, or even that good. She’s good looking and she has a really big toothy smile…Yeah?…So…
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Hey Pete, give Shutter Island another chance 🙂 BTW always nice to see you commenting on here 🙂 I so love Pam’s writings as you do 🙂
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I agree with you on Julia but Leonardo is very good, at the least. His expressive face is why Scorsese worked with him for six films and why other great directors want him. There is an emotional response elicited by actors. Leo is attractive. That certainly helps. The roles he has are interesting characters. That helps.
Great post, Pam. I love how you blend the literary with the historical. I’m jealous. 😉
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Thanks Cindy. You’re kind and generous with your assessments.
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Hey Pam, I just replied back to your comment on my Otto Preminger entry and I wanted to tell you that I did include Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon as one of his best films. It was on number 18 under the four star films. I think you might have missed that (accidentally) when you read it. I just wanted to tell you this to reassure you that I love the film 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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You know I was kidding you John about omitting ‘Junie Moon’. I did overlook it and I’m glad that you didn’t but I would certainly understand if you’d left it off–Liza Minnelli is not everyone’s cup of tea and it’s not one of Preminger’s best.
Listen, you and I should do a post together like Pete and Cindy did a while back on De Palma films. You choose the director, of course, and we could do it on your site if you wanted to. What do you think?
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Gotcha on the Junie Moon thing 🙂 Cause I put it on the list, how could anyone miss that? 🙂 As for a post similar to that of Pete and Cindy’s, that sounds like a great idea 🙂 Nevertheless, I will be on vacation from July 10th to July 12th. I will be coming back home on Friday, July 13th. Nevertheless, I would need a few days to recuperate, but by Monday, July 15th and beyond, we should collaborate on a blog entry like that 🙂 Whose site should we post it on- mine or yours? 🙂 The only thing, I have to think of first is which director, we should do it on? Let’s stay in touch on that and keep those comments coming 🙂
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That time frame sounds good to me John. I’m cool with doing it on your site if that’s okay. You’ve got plenty of time to think about the director.
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Pam, you are definitely whetting my appetite for Hemingway’s Nick Adams tales. Wonderful analysis of a story that evokes a time and a place. Much still relevant to where we re today.
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Pam, you are whetting my appetite for more Nick Adams stories. Hemingway evokes a time and a place so many years ago yet seems just as relevant today. Wonderfully done.
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sorry for the double entry. I did not see the first post go thru until I posted again.
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No problem John. Thank you. My third and final Nick Adams post will be The Killers, which inspired the wonderful movie with Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner.
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I do not know If your new post will be up before 4th of July, but If not, I just want to wish you a Happy one 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always and keep those comments coming 🙂
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Hey John. Thank you. Happy 4th to you to. My daughter’s fiance is in town and I’ve been busy with them. He’s going to take her to California with him so it’s an emotional time for my husband and me, and for her younger sister too.
Yes, I liked Conspiracy quiet a lot. Especially the acting. I’m a Tucci fan. He’s a true actor. He adheres to the mantra “There are no small parts only small actors.” That’s why he stands out in everything he does and, yet, you may not know his name. It’s like…”Oh there’s that guy. He’s really great.” I’m on my way over to your site now. I stopped by but didn’t have time to comment.
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I hear ya 🙂 No problem at all 🙂 We all have personal lives to attend to 🙂 I agree with everything you have just said about Stanley Tucci 🙂 He was also a perfect Walter Winchell in another HBO film entitled Winchell from 1998 I believe. Anyway, have a Happy 4th of July once again 🙂
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You too.
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