The protagonist, Nick Adams is wounded in Italy during World War I and is suffering from shell-shock, or post-traumatic stress syndrome. The story maybe autobiographical because Hemingway was also wounded in Italy at the same wartime. Nick is plagued by nightmares, in which he sees the Austrian soldier who shot him. Nick's friend, the Italian Captain Paravicini, believes that Nick's head wound should have been treated differently; he worries about Nick's bouts of "craziness."
One hot summer day, Nick bicycles from the village of Fornaci to Captain Paravicini's encampment. On the way, he witnesses the miles of bloated corpses and the hundreds of blowing pieces of military papers.
When Nick reaches camp, an Italian second lieutenant questions Nick's identification papers before Paravicini intervenes and coaxes Nick to lie down and rest before he returns to Fornaci; he fears for Nick's sanity and safety despite the young American's valiant attempt to deal with his war-torn memories.
The story is an emotional recall for those affected by war and the way it affects people - both on the front and for the ones at home waiting in despair.
Adapted from HemingwayBlog
Image - WW1 propaganda poster Lucile Patterson
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