A Day's Wait

“He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ached to move.”

The only physical descriptions of Schatz include descriptions of how he responds to his illness. This quote provides imagery that conveys how sick the child looks. In addition, it provides characterization that reveals Schatz’s strength as he moves around despite feeling miserable.

“‘What’s the matter, Schatz?’

‘I’ve got a headache.’

‘You better go back to bed.’

‘No. I’m all right.’”

Thus begins the many miscommunications in this work. Schatz isn’t all right, but he’s trying desperately not to bother anyone. Meanwhile, the narrative reveals that Papa is concerned but does a terrible job showing it. He simply tells the boy to go back to bed as though he’s a bother.

“But when I came downstairs he was dressed, sitting by the fire, looking a very sick and miserable boy of nine years. When I put my hand on his forehead I knew he had a fever.”

Schatz’s journey down the path of Heroic Fatalism begins. He simply accepts his illness as part of life and moves on with his day, changing nothing despite feeling wretched. This quote deepens the characterization of Schatz, particularly regarding his self-reliance.

“When the doctor came he took the boy’s temperature.

‘What is it?’ I asked him.

‘One hundred and two.’”

With these lines, the central conflict in the story begins. Schatz hears this conversation and makes the connection from his previous education that a person can’t live with a fever over 44. These few lines trigger the internal turmoil that plagues Schatz for the rest of the work.

“‘Why don’t you try to go to sleep? I’ll wake you up for the medicine.’

‘I’d rather stay awake.’

After a while he said to me, ‘You don’t have to stay in here with me, Papa, if it bothers you.’

‘It doesn’t bother me.’

‘No, I mean you don’t have to stay if it’s going to bother you.’”

This quote demonstrates the ambiguity common throughout the story. Papa never explains why Schatz should sleep, and Schatz never explains why he wants to stay awake. This ambiguity continues when Schatz tells his father he doesn’t have to stay if it would disturb him But the child never clarifies what “it” is. The narrative poses the question of why staying with a sick child would bother a parent.

“‘Do you want me to read to you?’

‘All right. If you want to,’ said the boy. His face was very white and there were dark areas under his eyes. He lay still in the bed and seemed very detached from what was going on.”

This quotes ties into the running theme of Miscommunication and Lack of Communication (and the resulting misunderstandings). Schatz is emphasizing the “if you want to” part of his statement. However, his father hears mostly the “all right.” This continues the characterization of Schatz as a selfless person, more interested in others. Additionally, the last line of this quote contains a great deal of imagery. Illness and the stress of trying to be strong are visible in Schatz’s features.

“It was a bright, cold day, the ground covered with a sleet that had frozen so that it seemed as if all the bare trees, the bushes, the cut brush, and all the grass and the bare ground had been varnished with ice. I took the young Irish setter for a little walk up the road and along a frozen creek, but it was difficult to stand or walk on the glassy surface and the red dog slipped and slithered and I fell twice, hard, once dropping my gun and having it slide away over the ice.”

This quote includes the most descriptive language in the work. The imagery captures the barren, ice-covered landscape, and the only break in the chilly color palate is the red dog.

“Coming out while you were poised unsteadily on the icy, springy brush, they made difficult shooting and I killed two, missed five, and started back pleased to have found a covey close to the house and happy there were so many left to find on another day.”

This is another great example of Hemingway’s imagery. In addition, it ties into the theme of Bravery and Manliness, as Papa perseveres despite hardship. He doesn’t complain when he struggles and looks on the bright side of the situation. He’s happy that the quail are close to the house and that there are more to hunt later.

“At the house they said the boy had refused to let anyone come into the room.

‘You can’t come in,’ he said. ‘You mustn’t get what I have.’”

This is one of Hemingway’s narrative ellipses. Although the use of the word “they” indicates that other people are in the house, the narrative gives no other information about them. This adds to Schatz’s characterization, as he selflessly puts the others in the house ahead of his own needs.

“I went up to him and found him in exactly the position I had left him, white-faced, but with the tops of his cheeks flushed by the fever, staring still, as he had stared, at the foot of the bed.”

This imagery depicts the sick boy staring at nothing and adds to the characterization of both Schatz and Papa. Schatz is clearly someone whose thoughts are burdensome, yet he shares nothing. Papa is clearly worried about his son, but he also says nothing.

“‘Your temperature is all right,’ I said. ‘It’s nothing to worry about.’

‘I don’t worry,’ he said, ‘but I can’t keep from thinking.’

‘Don’t think,’ I said. ‘Just take it easy.’

‘I’m taking it easy,’ he said and looked straight ahead. He was evidently holding tight onto himself about something.”

The conflict between Papa and Schatz is clear in this quote. Papa is desperately trying to calm his ill son, but his words are meaningless platitudes. Meanwhile, Schatz is worrying about dying but doesn’t communicate this worry to his father. Both father and son are working at cross purposes. The father doesn’t communicate information about Schatz’s illness to avoid worrying him. Schatz doesn’t communicate that he’s afraid he’s dying because he doesn’t want to worry his father. In trying to protect each other, they both make the situation worse.

“‘About how long will it be before I die?’

‘You aren’t going to die. What’s the matter with you?’

‘Oh, yes, I am. I heard him say a hundred and two.’

‘People don’t die with a fever of one hundred and two. That’s a silly way to talk.’

‘I know they do. At school in France the boys told me you can’t live with forty-four degrees. I’ve got a hundred and two.’

He had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o’clock in the morning.”

This example of anagnorisis (the point in a plot when a protagonist finally recognizes the truth about a situation) finally reveals to Papa (and to readers) the worry that has troubled Schatz all day. Papa’s shock at this realization is clear in how he states, “He had been waiting to die all day, ever since nine o’clock in the morning.” Papa is clearly distressed that Schatz has been torturing himself all day and that Papa himself could have prevented it.

“‘You poor Schatz,’ I said. ‘Poor old Schatz. It’s like miles and kilometers. You aren’t going to die. That’s a different thermometer. On that thermometer thirty-seven is normal. On this kind it’s ninety-eight.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Absolutely,’ I said. ‘It’s like miles and kilometers. You know, like how many kilometers we make when we do seventy miles in the car?”

This is the beginning of the denouement and a huge break in character for Papa. For the first time, Papa’s general characterization as a taciturn, stoic man breaks, and the story reveals some of his emotions. Papa feels terrible for Schatz, and it shows in his repetition of “Poor Schatz” as well as the gentleness of his explanation.