THE THREE DAY BLOW

THE THREE DAY BLOW

              “The Three Day Blow” is a story with an analogy between the three day blow and the mental ordeal of the protagonist Nick. The story, which is written by an American writer Ernest Hemingway, traces a movement from conflict, through separation and suffering to reconciliation. It conveys the fullness of a formal ritual.

              It is the story of Nick Wemedge who intended to marry Marjorie. In order to get married with her, it was necessary for him to get back home to find a job and earn money. That was his original plan in the beginning and later he decided to stay in Charlevoix all winter so that he could be near Marge. He made a plan to go to Italy with her, visiting different places while having a lot of fun together. Unfortunately they had to break away and his plans went astray. All of a sudden, their relation came to an end. Marjorie’s mother could be responsible for it because she was regarded as being terrible. Nick was grieved to realize that he had lost her. He felt that she was gone and he had sent her away. He had no hope to see her again. The separation between Nick and Marjorie seemed to have been the outcome of conflict between Nick and Marjorie’s mother. It caused him to have a mental strain.

              In such an agony, he happened to visit the cottage of Bill when the first autumn’s storm broke out. The terrible weather condition reflected the mental agony of Nick. Being struck with grief due to the separation, he got into the cottage of Bill with a view to spend three days of his time three during the terrible wind blow. Bill was pleased to have his company. Both of them got into a long pastime activity while drinking wine and having conversation on different matters ranging over different topics such as drinks, baseball, and writing. Nick’s break up with Marjorie etc. Bill evidently looked happy for he had negative approach towards the married life. He held the view that a man is absolutely bitched and done for once he is married. He referred to Nick’s break up as a wise act. Nick was obliged to confess the matter with a tragic tone. In course of the conversation, Bill casually mentioned the possibility of Nick’s getting into it again. Nick had never thought about it. It had seemed so absolute. It made him feel better. It brought about a sudden drastic change in his way of thinking. He found himself on high spirits. He felt happy and lighter. According to the writer, nothing was finished and ever lost and also there was always a way out.

              With a new spirit, Nick suggested that they should take the guns, go down to the point and look for Bill’s father. Soon they were seen moving across the meadow towards Bill’s father. Nick was no more in a tragic mood and the wind blew everything out of his mind. This story ends with Nick being reconciled to the loss of his beloved. One can also interpret the happy ending of the story as the hint and hope of reconciliation between Nick and his beloved.

              As for the rhetorical strategy, the weather condition as described in the story presents a redaction and analogy of Nick’s suffering. The whole setting with story wind around acts as a stage with separation at one end and the reconciliation at the other's end. Being a dramatic story, it is presented in a sequence of approximately seven scenes: drinking wine, chat about baseball, discussion about literary works, habit of drinking, activities in Kitchen, view about marriage as well as Nick’s love affair with Marjorie and finally the scene of reconciliation or change of attitude.