Short Fiction · Chapter
The Killers explained
Two hitmen, Al and Max, enter Henry's lunchroom in Summit and intimidate the staff—George, Nick Adams, and Sam the cook—while they wait to kill Ole Andreson.
What happens
Two hitmen, Al and Max, enter Henry's lunchroom in Summit and intimidate the staff—George, Nick Adams, and Sam the cook—while they wait to kill Ole Andreson. After the hitmen leave, Nick warns Ole, who resignedly refuses to flee, and Nick decides to leave town, disturbed by the inevitability of the violence.
Themes in this chapter
American Identity and Disillusionment
The small-town setting of Summit is invaded by urban gangsters, highlighting the loss of innocence and the pervasive threat of violence in American life.
The Search for Authenticity
Nick's confrontation with senseless violence and his decision to leave town reflect a search for meaning and authenticity in a world where evil is arbitrary and inescapable.
Characters to notice
- Nick Adams
Witnesses the hitmen's arrival, is forced into the kitchen, and later warns Ole Andreson before deciding to leave Summit.
- Ole Andreson
The intended victim; he is warned by Nick but accepts his fate and refuses to run.
- George Gardner
The lunchroom counterman who is coerced by the hitmen and later advises Nick to leave town.
Key passages
“I can't stand to think about him waiting in the room and knowing he's going to get it. It's too damned awful.”
Nick is overwhelmed by the horror of Ole Andreson passively awaiting his murder.
Captures Nick's emotional response to the futility and dread of the situation.