"The Revolutionist" may be short, but it's all about brotherhood—Communist brotherhood, to be precise. The comrade literally has nothing without his commie community supporting him along his journey—the square of oilcloth is his ticket to everything he needs, and he needs everything. The kid has no money, no train ticket, no food, no nothing without the support of his comrades. So, you know, no community for him, would mean no story for us.
Questions About Community
- How would the story be different if Hemingway had left politics—and political community—out of it?
- How does the narrator make his status as part of the young man's community clear to us as readers? Why doesn't he come out and say he's a member of the Communist Party, too?
- Why is the young man referred to as comrade?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
This story argues that agreeing about the big things matters more than agreeing about the little things.
Without his network of comrades, the comrade doesn't stand a chance.