“A Very Short Story” is aptly named. Most of Hemingway’s short stories are about four to six pages long from what we’ve read so far. All the same I don’t think that that is why he named this short story as he did.

The story happens around the end of World War I. I looked it up and this was published before the second world war.

The type of “boy and girl” love they had is probably what many envision when thinking of this type of war time story the wounded soldier, weary from battle in the trenches for weeks scarred by what he has seen, is sent to heal and he is suddenly cared for by a beautiful girl. At least she is a lot more beautiful than the combat medics that–though he is certainly grateful to them–just don’t have that caring touch.

However this is not [insert Nicholas Sparks movie/book reference]. Hemingway decisively adds that this type of love is seldom, if ever, lasting. Even the girl, Luz, realizes this to a point. She still held onto a bit of that romantic hope though. When she wrote she expected a response perhaps that’s what she clinged to when the major from the Italian army didn’t marry her either. It’s sad. She gave up one “boy and girl” love for another and neither came to fruition.

It reminds me of high school choir tours and what we ironically called CTR’s or “Choir Tour Romances.” I even had one. I remember that within a day I had moved forward to what took me three years to achieve with another girl. Fortunately I had a mother that knew better and she forbade me to go out with this girl. Even after that experience though I tried again the next year, though unsuccessfully, to repeat the process. I don’t know exactly why it was ten years ago but I think that we have been somewhat attuned to attach more value to this type of “love.” It is in the end though as Luz tries to convince herself “boy and girl” love.