In the short story "In Another Country" Ernest Hemingway explores the differences between American and Italian soldiers' conceptualizations of the physical and emotional burdens of World War I. History shows that the long-term consequences of war are more significant and far-reaching for Italian soldiers because they fight close to home. While both Americans and Europeans risk their lives in the fighting, Europeans must also defend themselves from the greater threat to their home countries. This is demonstrated in the story by Hemingway's subtle portrayal of the detrimental effects war has on the cultural and domestic lives of Italians. By comparing the unnerving effects the prospect of such harm has on Italians with the American soldier's lack of connection to the country, the story shows that the archetypal European soldier of World War I has more at stake in the war than his American counterparts . from overseas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay To emphasize the American narrator's unconscious disconnection from the long-term internal effects of the war, Hemingway characterizes him more as a tourist figure than a real soldier. This is why his undeserved medals, which serve more as costume than recognition, receive so much attention. This is also why he is allowed to make inane comments about local chestnut sellers and the "patriotism" of the Cova girls. Perhaps the most captivating aspect of its tourist characterization is its relationship with the Italian language, which speaks to its relationship with the country; he is superficial and contemptuous, and admits this by saying: "Italian seemed such an easy language to me... that I couldn't care much about it." After this statement prompts the local mayor to suggest that he learn grammar, he does the task lazily, which angers the mayor. This shows that he has no interest in connecting with the local culture, linguistically or in a broader sense, because he feels no interest in its existence after the war. Instead, the details revealed about Italian soldiers underline their cultural ties to Italy. In particular, the details surrounding their injuries show that even the immediate physical toll of war has far-reaching cultural implications for them. Thus, the major's shrunken hand becomes the ruin of "Italy's greatest fencer" and the private soldier's destroyed nose a partial erasure of his bond with "a very ancient family". The death of the major's wife, while not directly the result of the war, reminds him of the closeness of his domestic life to the war: when war occurs on one's home turf, domestic and wartime tragedies become inseparable. This emphasis on the closeness of domestic life to the war reminds us that Italian soldiers do not have the luxury of rushing home after the war, because they are already there. The American narrator, however, can still return "to the United States" to find a wife and live his "real life" in a society far from the ravages of war. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom EssayThus, at the end of the story, the Major's repeated phrase, "I am absolutely unable to resign myself" has a double meaning. On the one hand he expresses the irresolvability of his pain. On the other hand, it expresses the inability to truly abandon the war. The major knows that, even when the conflict is over, its effects will have permeated his country and its culture forever.,.