The Three Day Blow – Ernest Hemingway

i) Physical Blow: Rain and storm that lasts for three days.

ii) Mental Blow: In Nick’s mind, there was depression or sadness of tragedy between Nick and Marge.

Setting of the story:

The rain has just stopped. The wind is blowing making the trees bare. There is a village at the top of the hill where the writer locates his main characters drinking and talking. Below the village, the orchard, road, woods and lakes can be seen.

The “The Three Day Blow” is a love story written by Ernest Hemingway. The protagonist of this story is Nick, who has a beloved named Marge. Both are passionately in love but lately, they have quarreled and Nick has sent her away in anger. He feels that it is his mistake so he is very unhappy at present. He is also depressed and dejected because he has lost hope of seeing his beloved again. Thus, a kind of storm is blowing in the psyche of the Nick and he has no sense of peace, silence, and tranquility. In other words, he has become completely restless. For this reason, he goes to meet his friend Bill so as to get relief from his restlessness position.

Bill lives with his father in a cottage on the hill top. It is autumn season and the weather is wet. Autumn storms have started and at this time, a storm is blowing. It is very cold. When Nick has just reached the cottage, Bill opens the door and comes out. He warmly welcomes Nick inside and they sit down in front of the fire. Luckily, Bill’s father is not at home. They start talking about games and they also start drinking whisky. After that, they talk about the taste of whiskey and drink again and again. Again, they talk about many different things like books, writers, fishing, baseball, drinking, etc. They even talk about their own fathers each time they fill their glasses with whiskey and drink. Ultimately, the drinks heat them and they get quite drunk. To some extent, for a time Nick has forgotten his inner storm of depression and dejection. However, suddenly, Bill speaks about Marge again and praises Nick for breaking the relationship. Quite contrastingly, the storm again starts blowing inside Nick’s mind and he becomes completely impatient and intolerant. On the other hand, Bill does not understand about Nick’s inner thoughts. He even warns Nick not to go near Marge again because the relationship may start again. This warning and caution becomes a hint for Nick. Now his desperation and hopelessness vanishes and there is again hope for a reunion or reconciliation. In fact, Nick had never thought about this. So, Bill’s warning makes him happy but he does not say anything to Bill. Rather, Nick himself decides to go just to meet Marge after the end of the three-day autumn blow that is considered to be physical blow.       

Questions Answers:

1. Discuss the “The Three Day Blow” as a dramatic story.

Characteristics of a Drama

i) Dialogue             ii) No description                 iii) Setting              iv) Balance in the beginning       

  v) Rising action   vi) Complication   vii) Balance in the end         viii) No description about characters

“The Three Day Blow” is a dramatic story. Though it’s a story, we find certain elements of a drama. The story itself is not so grand. It’s simply a story of two friends – Nick and Bill. Once, in a blow, Nick came to Bill’s house to meet him. Bill’s father was not there. He was all alone in the house. So, he became very glad to find Nick with him. The two friends started to drink. While drinking, they started to chat over different topics. They talked about games, books and writers, etc. Thus, from the topic to another, Bill happened to open the topic of Marge, Nick’s former beloved. Nick and Marge had a deep love. But, they had to separate due to Marge’s mother. Nick became very sad at the reference of Marge. But, Bill made him understand and thus Nick’s heart gets lighted.

In this way, the story ends with the end of ‘Blow’ in outer physical world as well as in the mind of Nick also. The story has been dramatic because of the dramatic elements in it. To begin with, there are two characters Nick and Bill. The whole story is full of dialogues and conversations like a drama. The conversations or dialogues between the main characters Bill and Nick have developed the plot of the story. There’s no description of either the characters or about the events. The readers come to know everything only through the dialogues. Like a drama, there is a setting, that is Bill’s house. Like a drama, we find a balance in the beginning of the story. The two friends are enjoying a drink and chatting. The scene of complication comes when Bill brings the reference of Marge. Nick becomes serious and sentimental. Again, when Bill makes him understand, Nick’s mental blow goes away and again we find a balance in the end of the story. Hence, this style of writing this sort of story makes it to be a dramatic story.