PROSE ANALYSIS: THE KILLERS BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY

1) PLOT
a) The story is tell about a pair of criminals named Al and Max who enter a restaurant
managing by George. They seeking to kill a boxer, a Swede named Ole Andreson, who is
hiding out for unkonwn reasons. After they hold George, Nick Adams (a diner), and Sam
(nigger cook) and order them under menace, they finally leave because Andreson doesn't
come out. George sent Nick to warn Andreson but Sam doesn't think its good decision.
The main event of this story is when Nick come to Andreson. Andreson does not
react, except to tell Nick not to do anything, as there is nothing that can be done. Nick
leaves, goes back to the lunchroom, and informs George about Ole Andreson's reaction.
When George no longer seems concerned, Nick decides to leave town.
How main event relate to a whole event is; the main event (Nick warns
Andreson) is as contiuned action of previous event (Al and Max arrival and their mission)
b) In major, it's arranged chronogically. It also reveals implicitly just like the past of
Andreson and uncertanity in the beginning story (unavailable menu, unsuit clock)
c) "The killers" is formula story which has predictable narrative structure and reuse of
plot/no need to explain again such as reclination (enwiki). It narrated objectively,
artistically by giving such a mysterious atmosphere. There's no flashback and it use
summaries.
d) It fast-paced plot. I feel it when I found that not many events occurs in this story. In short,
Three boys meet two men - Nick warn Andreson - Nick back to lunchroom and decide to
leave.
e) The plot most move by dialogue. The exchange of short, sharp phrases between the
killers and the three occupants of Henry’s diner has been likened to the exchange of
machine-gun fire.
i) There's some bullying diologue during Al and Max asking George for menu but it's
unavailable and it moving to another mocking addressed for George and Nick. They
call both as "bright boy".
 ii) Then Al tie Nick and Sam in the kitchen while George faces Max in the counter and
Max still let him to interact with diner. Max then tell him that they want to kill a
Swedish named Ole Andreson.
iii) George answers that sometime Andreson come. But Andreson doesnt come. They
leave. George untie Nick and Sam then sent Nick to warn George. George doesn't
react
f) Conflict of this story are:
i) Emotional conflicts: (1) Al and Max cursing and mocking to George and Nick (2)
George do wrong thing by staring Max and laugh him and it make Max get angry. (3)
Andreson doesn't react whereas Nick has risking his life to warn him and it make
Nick want to move to other place. He probably feel guilty and dissapointed in the
same way and also feel worries to stay. (It doesn't resolved at all or probably it
doesn't resolved properly)
ii) Physical conflicts: Al tie Sam and Nick. A towel tied in each of their mouths. (It end
up/resolved when Al and Max is leaving and George free them)
The conflits is get more complex since Sam's against Nick to warn Andreson and it get
worse when Andreson choose to does nothing. It has consequences in Nick's movement.
g) Climax of this story: Andreson doesn't react to Nick's warning about the killers. He also
ask Nick to does nothing. This climax occur because impilicit reason of Andreson's past
related to Al and Max arrival. In sure, Andreson doesn't want to run away anymore.
h) Ending of story is indeterminate (I think) because there's no further explanation about
how will occur with Andreson. The biggest possibility he would die. In other way, the
author give us variuos intrepetion on Nick's decision to leave Summit.
i) This story has unity eventhough we don't get full explanation of preceding incident
happens to Andreson. That's why this story is unique. We are made for guessing.
j) "Andreson does nothing when he get warn about the killers from Nick" It has role as
coinsidence and it use to complicate the story. How improbable someone react that way
when facing danger. Morover other person (Nick) has struggle for warning him and
risking his life.
2) SETTING
 a) This story in general take places in a town named Summit, presumably outside of
Chicago.
b) Setting of Places: (1) Henry’s lunchroom in the counter. We could see it in the first
paragraph, "THE DOOR of Henry's lunch-room opened and two men came in. They sat
down at the counter". Most of coversation happens in this place.(2) Henry’s lunchroom in
the kitchen. One of action we could see on narration; "the little man walked after Nick
and Sam, the cook, back into the kitchen." (3) On the street to boarding house. It
explained on part; Nick walked up the street beside the car-tracks and turned at the next
arc light down a side street. (4) Hirsch's rooming-house, Andreson room. It pictured on;
Three houses up the street was Hirsch's rooming-house. Nick walked up the two steps
and pushed the bell. A woman came to the door. Nick opened the door and went into the
room. Ole Andreson was lying on the bed with all his clothes on.
c) Setting of Times: In the evening. We could see it in line 7 and 8. Outside it was getting
dark. The street-light came on outside the window. George also said "It's five
o'clock."Then time moved away while wait for Andreson until the hands of the clock
marked seven o'clock, and then five minutes past seven.
d) Setting of Atmosphere (Social Environment) and how it affect the characters:
i) Gale. Just like when George couldn't serve what Max want. Max said, "what the hell
do you put it on the card for?" It getting worse because the clock is unsuit. Max looks
more angry. Morover George make him uncomfort by stare and laugh to him.
ii) Confusing and strain. Max order Nick go around on the other side of the counter and
ask Sam to join. Nick and George was asked, "what's the idea?" but two men doesn't
give right answers. They keep talk and sometime it rough. They tie Nick and Sam.
Max then tell the mission that make them scary. Its killing Ole Andreson for a friend.
iii) Underpreassure. Beside meet those two men, there are other underpreassure moments
happens to them. (1) Right after Al and Max leave, George suggest Nick to see
Andreson but he doesn't assert Nick while Sam want him to stay. Nick prefers go. (2)
Anderson no reaction event.
iv) Hopeless. Nick can't stand to think about Ole waiting in the room and knowing he's
going to die. So he decide moves away.
3) CHARACTERS
 Nick Adams. Nick is a teenager, whom Al and Max refer to as "bright boy." The
author introduces Nick as a vulnerable teenager thrust into a world of violence and
meanness. Nick is someone who is honorable, courageous, and adventurous and who
exhibits grace under pressure. He distinguishes himself from others by his ability to
endure and to face death with dignity.
Nick is protagonist in this story, as well as Ole Andreson whose nice (based on
Mr.Bell perception). Other characters Al (Hired killer, antagonist. Problem he face is his
mission to kill Ole) Max (Al's partner, antagonist, problem same with Al. Easy to get
angry and talk too much), George (Counter man in Henry's lunchroom, actually care but
coward), Sam (Coward, it seems like has has bad past of being too nice person). This
characters revelals mostly by how they do and talk. Just like how Nick do when he
know Ole is in danger. Nick interaction with other characters seems mostly honorable
except when he ordered by Max to move, he a little bit angry and confuse. But Nick's
carring attitude doesn't seen good in Sam's view.
By the end of the story, Nick is a changed person. His discovery of the evil in
human beings shocks him, and he announces that he is going to leave town after he
returns from seeing Ole.
4) POINT OF VIEW
Third Person (Objective)
The narrator in "The Killers" is consistent, reliable, needlesly confusesist, conceal,
limited the knowledge, and withold the important information unfairly. The narrator
doesn’t tell us anything we couldn’t get from being a fly on the wall. We don’t know what
people are thinking unless they say it. We definitely don’t know what people are feeling
unless we infer it from their actions or dialogue. The narrator doesn’t pass judgment on any
of the characters. Are we asked to hate the killers? No, but we’re not asked to forgive them
either. Rather than steer us in any one direction, the text simply presents the case as is and
lets us deal with it how we choose.
At least, that’s what we thought the first few times we read "The Killers," and that’s the
general feeling that a reader will take from the text. It feels cold and indifferent and there’s
no bias toward any one character. BUT, take a closer look at the first few lines:
The door of Henry’s lunchroom opened and two men came in. They sat down at the counter.
 "What’s yours?" George asked them. "I don’t know," one of the men said. "What do you
want to eat, Al?"
"I don’t know," said Al. "I don’t know what I want to eat."
Now imagine we’re a fly on the wall, as we first argued. Notice anything about names?
We don’t know Max’s name yet because we haven’t heard it spoken. We know Al’s name,
but not until we hear it in dialogue. And we know George’s name because…
Oh, wait. Why DO we know George’s name? And in the next paragraph, when we’re told
that "from the other end of the counter, Nick Adams watched them," why do we know Nick’s
name? In fact, the point of view IS biased. It IS limited. About unfairly withold important
information, just like "kill Andreson for a friend" I think it precisely the best part that make
us guessing.
5) IMAGERY
a) Andreson doesn't react of Nick's warning about the killers that want kill him for a friend
then Nick decide to moves away after it. (Khinetics imagery)
b) Particular images makes me feel angry and curious in the same way. Why does Andreson
neglects good aim of Nick?
c) Imagery
 Visual (sight): George looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter
 Auditory (hear): "I can hear you, all right," Al said from the kitchen
 Tactile (touch): Sam and Nick tied up
 Gustatory (taste): . They went on eating.
 Organic (internal sensation): Depressed. Ole said, "I just can't make up my mind to go
out. I been in here all day."
 Kinesthetic (movements): George had cooked the sandwich, wrapped it up in oiled
paper, put it in a bag, brought it in.
d) My reaction to imagery contribute in the overall of the meaning because it's the core
image of the story that probably same as other readers in common.
6) SYMBOLISM
a) A person, inanimate object, and actions
b) Symbolism
 Black attire of the killers: Death; corruption; evil
  Clock: (1) Indifference, apathy
 counter towel: George's wish to forget about the Andreson matter. When he wipes the
counter, he wipes clear the Andreson episode and moves on with his life.
 Restaurant: The changing times. The restaurant had been a tavern but was remodeled
into a restaurant after the government outlawed the sale of liquor. Like the restaurant,
society as a whole also changed.
 streetcar tracks: Inability to escape death. The tracks connect to Chicago and the
outside world. Ole Andreson has been running from the killers and takes refuge in a
rooming house in Summit. But, as the streetcar tracks suggest, it is impossible for
Andreson to isolate himself completely from the men "tracking" him down."
 tree branches: Imminence of death. As Nick leaves the restaurant to go to the rooming
house, the narrator says, "Outside the arc-light shone through the bare branches of a
tree." Obviously, it is late fall, not long before winter—a traditional symbol of death.
 wicket: Racial barrier. Sam, a black man, is the cook. Working in the kitchen, he is
separated from the whites by the wicket (a tiny door) through which he passes food
c) We list Mrs. Bell as a symbol and not a character because we don’t really know anything
about her. And we don’t need to. She serves her purpose just fine by 1) giving the reader
more information about Andreson, and 2) having a name that isn’t Mrs. Hirsch.
d) Andreson stay in the room while Nick prefer go out trough the door, just like one is
trapped while another find the way out.
e) Symbol doesn't change, I think.
7) TONE
Matter-of-Fact, Neutral
"The Killers" is presented to us rather nakedly. Here’s what happens, judge for yourself. The
author’s attitude towards the work, then, is basically neutral. If the reader feels sympathetic,
it’s because the reader is compassionate, not because the tone encourages sympathy. This
really fits the bill as far as the story goes; if "The Killers" is about an encounter with
unadulterated evil, then it should be presented to us in an unadulterated manner. Or, to put it
another way, we as readers encounter "The Killers" the same way Nick Adams encounters
the killers
8) IRONY
 a) Most parts of the dialogue between Al and Max are ironic and not meant the way they
say it. It end up different from what Nick and George hoped, Andreson does nothing and
prefer to face his death. However, the biggest irony in the story is that Ole Anderson, the
heavyweight fighter who once fought for money, now refuses to fight, even for his life.
b) George doesn’t think about The killers and Sam doesn’t want to hear about it. Only Nick
is left with a “damned awful” feeling not only about Andreson’s fate, but also about the
fact that he risked his life for nothing.
c) When Nick decides to warn Andreson, Sam ironically says “Little boys always know
what they want to do.” Given that Sam’s perspective on the matter is that Nick should
stay out of the Andreson dilemma for his own safety, he likely means that Nick’s
decision is like that of a little boy because it is foolish, not because it is not courageous.
What Sam views as foolishness Hemingway views as strength
9) THEME
a) Probably Author purpose is to show how everthing doesn't like its look. Just like clock in
Henry's lunchroom
b) Theme of The Killers is the inability to escape death. It's implicit theme.
c) Other theme: masculinity, crime, chaos.oppose popular notions of life which commonly
the victim then does something to escape. I think it's give new insight in to human
experience since. Sometime runaway doesn't give anything, face it—is alternative way
we could choose.
d) Lesson: heroism sometime result nothing but if we were brave, at least, we know what
we do is right.
10) GENERAL QUESTION
a) There should be crime scene as prime attention. Probably it involves the killers activities.
b) I enjoy reading this story and aspect gave me pleasure is Nick Adams's character because
I like his heroism. This story is offer escape; Andreson stay, Nick leaves.