Characters
Who is "I" in these stories?
Nick Adams
Where is Nick in "Now I Lay Me"?
A bunk 7 miles behind the line during WWI
What would Nick do to occupy himself while he lay awake as his first option?
Remembered/Imagined himself fishing, looking for bait, and in a meadow with a stream
What does Nick see at the beginning of the story before reaching the battalion?
Lots of dead Austrians, with photographs, letters, and drawings scattered about
Who is Signor Tenente?
The other person awake in the room Nick is in "Now I Lay Me"
Where is Nick thinking of when he prays for his parents in "Now I Lay Me"?
Their new house designed and built by his mother after his grandfather died
What did Nick do the nights he could not fish?
He would pray for his parents and think about when they burned his grandfather's old things
What does Nick fight with the lieutenant at the entrance about?
The lieutenant wants to keep his tessera papers, but Nick needs them to prove who he his
Who is Captain Paravicini, who Nick refers to as "Para"?
The battalion head and friend that speaks English that Nick is looking for in “A Way You’ll Never Be”
Where is Nick biking in the beginning of "A Way You'll Never Be"?
He is coming from Fornaci and sees an attacked field in Italy during the war
Why was Nick laying on the floor and trying not to fall asleep?
He was recovering from an explosion injury in the war and was scared that he would die if he fell asleep
What has Nick been tasked to do that he tells Para about?
He has to walk around the battalions in his American military uniform to get them to believe more Americans are coming
Who does Para attempt to send Nick with on his way home?
A runner to keep him safe, but Nick refuses
Where does the majority of “A Way You’ll Never Be” take place?
The battalion headquarters for Italy
What was a major topic of conversation for Nick and Signore Tenente?
Marriage (to a rich Italian girl) and kids
What does Para keep suggesting Nick do?
He is concerned for his health, so he suggests he take a nap or go back home
Who is John in "Now I Lay Me"?
John is how Signor Tenente refers to Nick
What place does Nick think of when he lies down for the first time in the battalion headquarters?
A platoon of the class of 1899 on the front where the troops got scared before an attack, so Para had Nick walk them out in pairs to prove they were alright
Why was Signor Tenente placed with Nick?
They're the only two that can speak English in their group
What does Nick talk a lot about to the adjutant and runners?
Grasshoppers and locusts in America