A Day's Wait by Ernest Hemingway
In Ernest Hemingway's short story "A Day's Wait," a nine-year-old boy named Schatz is suffering from a fever. His father, who is a doctor, tells him that his temperature is 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Schatz, who is unfamiliar with the Fahrenheit scale, believes that he is going to die in a day's time. The father, realizing his mistake, tries to explain to Schatz that 102 degrees Fahrenheit is not a fatal temperature, but Schatz is too scared to listen. He spends the day in fear, waiting for his death. At the end of the day, Schatz's father comes to check on him and finds him still alive. He explains to Schatz that 102 degrees Fahrenheit is not a fatal temperature, and Schatz finally understands. The story ends with Schatz relieved and his father relieved that his son is safe.
By Ernest Hemingway · First published 1933 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Short Story, Modernist Literature · 1,058 words
First lines
HE CAME INTO THE ROOM TO SHUT THE windows while we were still in bed and I saw he looked ill. He was shivering, his face was white, and he walked slowly as though it ached to move.
"What's the matter, Schatz?"
What this Textopian page supports
A Day's Wait is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ernest Hemingway, dated 1933 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ernest Hemingway
- Date: 1933 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Realistic Fiction, Short Story, Modernist Literature, Drama
- Length: 1,058 words
- Structure: 1 section, 60 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for A Day's Wait by Ernest Hemingway
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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- How does this short story by Ernest Hemingway fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Realistic Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Realistic Fiction — The story follows a young boy's experience of waiting for news of his health, and the realistic emotions and reactions he has to the situation.
- Short Story — The story is a short story, as it is a brief narrative with a single plot and a limited number of characters.
- Modernist Literature — The story is written in a modernist style, with a focus on the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters, and a lack of traditional plot structure.
- Drama — The story follows a dramatic arc, as the protagonist experiences a range of emotions and reactions to his situation.
Tags
20th century · acid · american and canadian literature · american fiction · bank · bare · bed · boy · boy's · brush · capsules · covey