Pie Makes Everything Better...

    Here I am again blogging for what I think is the second time within 12 hours, so I’m pretty impressed with myself. This time talking about Ten Indians, which strangely impacted me just like Cross-Country Snow did; the story did seem rather pointless, but nonetheless I connected with it.
    The father-son relationship seems to be one of the most studied, talked about, and written about in history. Tales of men going out with their fathers on their first hunt, the fathers telling stories to the boy about hunters’ past and teaching him the lay of the land. The boy watches his father in admiration, wishing only to be like him one day. Other stories show a not-so-good influence of a father for his sone; the proverbial drunk man who wastes all his families money at the bar, comes home and beats the wife and kids, and does the same thing every day. The boy learns what not to be here, hopefully, but Hemingway seems to cover neither of these father-son relationships in Ten Indians.
    In this short story, a more affectionate side of the relationship is shown, in one way or another. Nick’s love interest, Prudence (ironically named), is caught with another man by Nick’s father, who must break the news to him. The funny part about this is that his reaction is so typical of any confused dad who is trying to comfort his son emotionally for maybe the first time, he just has no idea how to. So, he gives him food. He breaks the news to heartbroken Nick, and then offers him lots and lots of pie. I love my dad, but I can just see him doing this himself, and it make me kind of sad but more just giddy at the same time. Mothers have traditionally satisfied the emotional need of children, but when Hemingway puts it the opposite it points out an odd and comical truth: Dads just aren’t the best people to talk about girls with.
    In no way am I saying I or anybody shouldn’t go to their dad for advice, I do all the time. The truth that Hemingway brings out here is just so real, and I can’t seem to get over it. “Oh I’m sorry I caught your girlfriend cheating on you, how about some pie?” Then again if Nick was a girl, maybe the pie would’ve helped...