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