What’s a Fickle-minded Woman

I read the book for at least 5 times. The first time I only knew that it was a story between Luz and “he”. The hero “he” was injured and in a hospital, where he fell in love with a nurse Luz. They planned to get married but failed for some reason. Soon he went back to the front. After the armistice they decided that he went to look for a job and then they would get married when everything was OK. Luz opened a hospital. During this period a major made love to Luz so she wrote to “him” to break up. At last, the major didn’t marry Luz and the hero “he” contracted gonorrhea while having sex with a sales girl.

It seems the story is too short to express the author’s thoughts. But after reading it for several times, I do feel something. Heroes in Hemingway’s book are always strong and firm and can be destroyed but not defeated, just like he described in The Old Man and the Sea. However, in this story, the hero is not only destroyed but also defeated by war and women. He was a good man, which can be seen from how he treated Luz. But why a good man was defeated? I think that’s what’s the author expected to express—because of the woman. Luz is not a positive role, the hero was in deep love with her while she betrayed him. I find that Luz and loose have the same pronunciation, which suggests the love between him and Luz was not firm, on the other hand, Luz also sounds like lose, which hints that his losing Luz. The heroin’s name suggests she is a wanton woman and so she is. She hurt the hero who was craving for love and affection. Finally the major did not marry her, maybe it was a punishment for her, but in my opinion, the major became another he and was betrayed by Luz since she was so fluid. Who knows?

2015-04-21

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