When a Light Goes Off While Hemingway is

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When a Light Goes Off While Hemingway is recuperating at the Red Cross Hospital in Milan, for the first time, he falls in love with a nurse, Agnes; by the time of his departure home, they decide to get married within a few months in America; however, she writes him a letter – she is engaged to an Italian officer – Hemingway was devastated by this rejection. This personal experience was expressed in “A Very Short Story,” where he portrays himself as his alter-ego Nick Adams, an injured American soldier and creates Luz, based on the nurse Agnes. While Nick is recovering after surgery, he is madly in love with Luz, constantly thinking about her. It seems that she loves him too; however, when her love is tested outside the hospital, it doesn’t survive, breaking Nick’s heart and life. Nick learns in a painful way that was pure love for him; was for her just a childish game. This heartbreak, which Nick experiences as a young man, is devastating and destroys his belief in love and his hope for happiness. Their love started as something warm and beautiful, like summer, on the background of cold and ugly war. Nick had every single reason to believe that their love was true and lasting since Luz seemed to be so devoted to him. She prepared him for surgery; and she joked with him about whether he wanted to have “friend or enema”. One night they even spent time together in his bed on the roof, where they had a grand view of Padua.They would spend most of the time in bed where they were building their dreams regarding their future together. Had they obtained the required banns, they would have got married; they felt that they were married, but they wanted to make it so they couldn’t lose it; she had desired to be his. Even though Nick was on crutches , he would check patients’ temperature so Luz could stay in his bed