Violence? What violence? Don't worry, you didn't miss a secret bonus ninth paragraph or anything like that. Instead, we’re referring to the violence that hangs in the periphery of "The Revolutionist." In a sense, this story is framed by violence: The comrade has narrowly escaped some brutalities in Budapest, World War I hangs in the very-recent background, and the comrade is eager to see a world revolution. So while it never shows itself on the page, Hemingway never lets violence get far from our minds in this story.
Questions About Violence
- Can a story feature violence without explicitly depicting violent action?
- How does violence fit in with the overall mood of the story?
- Is the title suggestive of violence?
- Does the comrade strike you as a violent individual? How about the narrator? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Violence is a significant underlying motivator in the story: It prompts the comrade's escape from Italy, and the promise of violence in the form of revolution keeps him going.
The story's underlying reminders of violence provide a jarring contrast to the calm and beauty that the comrade experiences on his travels.