Something I loved in "Night Before Battle" is the way Hemingway situates distraction. It is another common trope in his work. Characters faced with difficult decisions, dangerous situations or even grief, will often distract themselves from their feelings.
Al Wagner and the pilots all do it with a crap game. Henry distracts himself by caring for Al. Baldy gets himself tight. Manolita distracts herself with the English correspondent. Like so much of what I love in Hemingway, this tendency to distract ourselves feels right.
Al Wagner and the pilots all do it with a crap game. Henry distracts himself by caring for Al. Baldy gets himself tight. Manolita distracts herself with the English correspondent. Like so much of what I love in Hemingway, this tendency to distract ourselves feels right.