In the short story "In Another Country," Ernest Hemingway explores the differences between American and Italian soldiers' conceptualizations of the physical and emotional consequences of World War I . This story shows that the long-term consequences of war are greater and deeper for Italian soldiers because they fight close to home. While Americans and Europeans risk their lives in combat, Europeans must also defend themselves against the broader threat to their home countries. This is demonstrated in the story by Hemingway's subtle depiction of the detrimental effects of war on the cultural and domestic lives of Italians. By comparing the unsettling effects that the prospect of such damage had on Italians with the American soldier's lack of connection to the country, history shows that the archetypal European soldier of World War I had more at stake in the war than its American counterparts. from abroad. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay In order to emphasize the American narrator's unconscious disconnection from the long-term domestic effects of the war, Hemingway characterizes him as a tourist figure who 'a real soldier. This is why his undeserved medals, which serve more as a costume than recognition, receive such attention. This is also why he is allowed to make senseless comments about the local chestnut sellers and the “patriotism” of the Cova girls. Perhaps the most captivating aspect of his tourist characterization is his relationship with the Italian language, which speaks to his relationship with the country; it's superficial and dismissive, and he admits it by saying: "Italian seemed such an easy language... that I couldn't take much interest in it." After this statement prompts the local major to suggest he learn grammar, he goes about the task lazily, angering the major. This shows that he has no interest in connecting with the local culture linguistically or in a broader sense, as he feels no real interest in its existence after the war. In contrast, the details revealed about the Italian soldiers highlight their cultural ties to Italy. In particular, the details of their injuries show that even the immediate physical consequences of war had profound cultural ramifications for them. Thus, the major's shrunken hand becomes the undoing of "Italy's greatest fencer" and the soldier's destroyed nose a partial erasure of his connection with "a very old family." The death of the major's wife, although not directly due to the war, reminds him of the proximity of his domestic life to the war: when war breaks out on his own soil, the domestic tragedies and the tragedies of war become inseparable. This emphasis on the proximity of domestic life to war reminds us that Italian soldiers do not have the luxury of returning home after the war, because they are already there. The American narrator can, however, always return “to the United States” to find a wife and live his “real life” in a society far from the ravages of war. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Thus, at the end of the story, the major's repeated phrase: "I am absolutely incapable of resigning myself" has a double meaning. On the one hand, this expresses the insolvency of his grief. On the other hand, it expresses an inability to truly move on from the war. The major knows that,.