On the Quai at Smyrna
The Quai at Smyrna is Ernest Hemingway's classic short story about a young American nurse, Miss Gage, who is sent to the port of Smyrna in Turkey to help care for the thousands of refugees who have been displaced by the Greco-Turkish War. Miss Gage is overwhelmed by the suffering she witnesses and struggles to cope with the tragedy of the situation. She meets a young Greek boy, Niko, who has been separated from his family and is desperate to find them. Miss Gage takes Niko under her wing and helps him search for his family, while also trying to provide comfort and aid to the other refugees. In the end, Miss Gage is able to reunite Niko with his family, but the experience has changed her forever. The story is a powerful and moving exploration of the human cost of war and the resilience of the human spirit.
By Ernest Hemingway · First published 1930 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance · 732 words
First lines
THE STRANGE THING WAS, HE SAID, HOW they screamed every night at midnight. I do not know why they screamed at that time. We were in the harbor and they were all on the pier and at midnight they started screaming. We used to turn the searchlight on them to quiet them. That always did the trick. We'd run the searchlight up and down over them two or three times and they stopped it. One time I was senior officer on the pier and a Turkish officer came up to me in a frightful rage because one of our sailors had been most insulting to him. So I told him the fellow would be sent on ship and be most severely punished. I asked him to point him out. So he pointed out a gunner's mate, most inoffensive chap. Said he'd been most frightfully and repeatedly insulting; talking to me through an interpreter. I couldn't imagine how the gunner's mate knew enough Turkish to be insulting. I called him over and said, "And just in case you should have spoken to any Turkish officers."
What this Textopian page supports
On the Quai at Smyrna is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ernest Hemingway, dated 1930 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: 1930 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Romance, Literary Fiction
- Length: 732 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for On the Quai at Smyrna by Ernest Hemingway
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- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering On the Quai at Smyrna?
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- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — The book is set in the aftermath of the Greco-Turkish War and is based on Hemingway's own experiences in the city of Smyrna.
- Adventure — The book follows the protagonist's journey as he navigates the chaotic and dangerous environment of Smyrna.
- Romance — The protagonist falls in love with a young woman he meets in Smyrna, and the story follows their relationship.
- Literary Fiction — The book is written in Hemingway's signature style, with sparse prose and a focus on the psychological states of the characters.
Tags
20th century · absolutely · american and canadian literature · american fiction · babies · blown · board · business · chap · dead · died · drew