My Old Man by Ernest Hemingway
"My Old Man" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that portrays the relationship between a twelve-year-old boy named Joe and his father, a jockey. The narrative, set primarily in Italy and later in France, captures the challenges faced by Joe's father as he struggles with the demands of maintaining his weight and the pressures of competitive racing. Through Joe's eyes, readers experience his admiration for his father, contrasted with moments of tension and disappointment, particularly when witnessing the darker aspects of horse racing, such as race-fixing.
As the story unfolds, Joe reflects on their life in Milan, expressing nostalgia for the simpler times and the scenic beauty of the racing tracks. The family's move to Paris introduces new dynamics, including Joe's father's attempts to regain his footing in the racing world, which ultimately leads to tragic consequences. The story culminates in a heart-wrenching moment when Joe learns of his father's fatal accident during a race, leaving him grappling with complex emotions, including admiration, loss, and uncertainty about his father's legacy. Hemingway's poignant storytelling delves into themes of familial love, ambition, and the often harsh realities of life, making "My Old Man" a reflective exploration of youth and the quest for identity amidst adversity.
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My Old Man by Ernest Hemingway
First published: 1923
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1920's
Locale: Italy and France
Principal Characters:
Joe Butler , the twelve-year-old narratorButler , a jockey and Joe's "old man"
The Story
Narrated by the title character's twelve-year-old son, Joe, the story begins in Italy, where the man works as a jockey. Joe recounts the difficulties his father had keeping his weight down and how strenuously he exercised to stay fit. He also recalls how fond he was of his old man as he watched him jump rope in the hot sun. Joe recalls once how tired his father appeared at a weigh-in and how he looked at a younger jockey with envy. Joe thinks that everything might have been better if they had remained in Italy riding at the easy courses in Milan and Torino. He remembers the big green infield at San Siro with the mountains in the distance and how much he loved the horses and the sweep of the race as they rounded the turns.
After winning the Premio Commercio, his old man has an argument in the Galleria with an Italian and a man named Holbrook, who calls him a "son of a bitch." This shocks Joe and he notices that his father is greatly upset by the confrontation, but he cannot quite figure out why. His father tells him that there are many things one just has to accept. Three days later they leave Milan for good on the train for Paris.
They arrive the next morning at the Gare de Lyon, and Joe remarks on the differences between Paris and Milan. They find a place to board with a Mrs. Meyers in Maisons-Lafitte in the district with the race tracks. It is the best place to live he has ever seen. His father hangs around the Café de Paris in Maisons with other jockeys waiting for his riding license to arrive from Milan, and Joe hunts rabbits with another boy.
Butler's license arrives and he begins to ride in local races but cannot get any full-time engagements. Once at St. Cloud, Joe witnesses his old man accepting information from George Gardner, another jockey, about a race that is being fixed. When the prohibitive favorite, Kzar, is beaten by Kircubbin, an eight-to-one long shot, his old man cleans up because he had bet five thousand on Kircubbin to win. Joe describes the race and admits his disappointment that such a beautiful horse should have been forced to lose. His father remarks that it took a great jockey to keep Kzar from winning. The knowledge that the race was fixed hurts the boy. The money allows his father to spend more time in Paris but does not bring him contentment.
After a race at Auteuil, his father, again a heavy winner, buys a horse, Gilford, and he enters him on the circuit. Joe remarks that riding for oneself makes an "awful difference." His father goes back into training. The second race his old man rides on Gilford takes place on a rainy Sunday at Auteuil, and, although in the lead, he falls on a water jump and is killed. George Gardner takes Joe in to see his dead father, and while they are waiting for the ambulance, Joe overhears a couple of spectators remark that Butler got what he deserved after all of the things he pulled. George tells him not to listen to them because his father was a swell guy, but after all that has happened, Joe remains unsure.
Bibliography
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