Anna Zawadzka rok III, gr.

IV

Violence in Ernest Hemingways story The Battler .

Growing up is like a ourney. Be!ore a youngster "ecomes an a#ult he nee#s to set out on this metaphorical trip all "y himsel! to pro$e that he is capa"le o! li$ing his li!e in#epen#ently o! his caregi$ers. The ourney is ne$er easy as it shoul# "e teaching us the most important lessons which, as we all know, are sometimes "rutal an# pain!ul. %ome say that especially !or "oys on their roa# to manhoo# the "rutality an# pain are ine$ita"le. &'eal men shoul# ne$er show their weakness "ecause they are suppose# to "e strong an# tough. (n the other han# some think that li!e is $ery tough an# like a "attle!iel#. %ome also e)perience lo$e as a "rutal !orce. The Battler is a story in which the li!e stories o! the characters make us think o! #i!!erent aspects o! har#ship an# $iolence. E$en the title o! the story can "e analy*e# in terms o! $iolence. +e can ask oursel$es a ,uestion- who #oes it really re!er to in the story. /irstly, we get a glimpse o! the li!e o! the young "oy name# 0ick 1#ams. The story actually starts at the $ery moment when 0ick ha# "een thrown o!! a train as he is getting up !rom the groun#. /rom that scene we can see that the "oys li!e is not easy. Howe$er, e$en though he is so young he e)pects himsel! to "e tough an# strong ust like a grown man. He scol#s himsel! !or "eing na2$e an# tricke# like a chil#. He #oes not complain nor cry "ut gathers his "elongings an# starts walking !orwar# in the #arkness. He wishes he coul# hit the "rakeman "ack in re$enge. He alrea#y knows the &law o! the ungle. 0ick is a "attler #espite his young age. He is on a roa# to a#ulthoo# on which li!e harshly teaches him how to "e a man. 0e)t aspect o! $iolence is represente# in the story "y the e)3"o)er character. 1# /rancis use# to "e a pro!essional well3known !ighter. It coul# "e sai# a"out him that $iolence was his #aily "rea#. Howe$er the physical $iolence is not the only kin# that 1#s story represents. E$en though he was a strong man he recei$e# a stroke he was $ulnera"le to. +hen his "elo$e# wi!e le!t him, 1# lost e$erything e$en his sanity an# coul# not e$en !unction in the society anymore as his aggression "ecame #angerous. /rom another point o! $iew, perhaps the most $iolent person in 1#s story is his wi!e who #estroye# her hus"an#s li!e.

4ro"a"ly the easiest way to interpret the title o! Hemingways story woul# "e to attach it to 1# /rancis. Howe$er i! we think o! li!e as a "attle!iel#, 1# ha# lost his "attle an# is on the en# o! his ourney. The story o! his li!e is also a $alua"le lesson !or young 0ick. The thir# mans story is yet another e)ample o! a $iolent li!e. Bugs roams the country with 1#, li$ing o!! o! the money 1#s wi!e sen#s him. In return he makes sure 1# #oes not get into !ights or hurt anyone. Bugs is a "lack man so we can "e sure that he ha# his share o! $iolence in his li!e. He appears to "e !rien#ly an# kin# "ut i! we rea# closely it turns out that he is "rutal too. +e learn that he was in ail !or cutting a man an# when 1# "ecomes aggressi$e towar#s 0ick, Bugs hits sneaks up "ehin# an# heats 1# on the hea# so he loses his consciousness. In spite o! this $iolent "eha$ior Bugs claims not to "e seeking "rutality in his li!e. He says that he en oys "eing 1#s caregi$er "ecause he #oes not ha$e to "e a criminal anymore. /rom what we rea# a"out Bugs it seems that he is a kin# o! person that #oes not want any more "attles in his li!e. To sum up what Hemingway ha# to say in his story is that li!e is !ull o! $iolence an# we ha$e to "e rea#y to #e!en# oursel$es any time. E$en people that we think o! as our !rien#s can attack us an# hurt us. 1n e)ample o! this can "e seen in the !ragment in which 1# su##enly changes an# wants to "eat up 0ick e$en though he seeme# to "e so !on# o! the "oy ust moments ago. This might "e authors suggestion that people shoul# not "e truste#. The "rakeman who tricke# 0ick coul# not "e truste#, 1# coul# not "e truste# "ecause he was &cra*y. +e !eel that Bugs e$en though he seems to "e !rien#ly an# caring shoul# not "e truste# either. In The Battler li!e is the roa# in the #arkness. /rom time to time the tra$eler sees the !irelight. He approaches it in hope that he will rest, eat an# get warm "ut he can ne$er "e sure i! he will "e greete# "y !rien#s or enemies. This pessimistic an# rough outlook on reality is howe$er ease# "y the !act that a!ter all 0ick was welcome# with a great #eal o! hospita"ility !rom the two strangers. It might "e that the "attler is really e$eryone o! us ust li$ing his li!e. +hat is important is to try to win e$ery "attle we !ight an# get up a!ter e$ery #e!eat.