Synopsis: The Killers is a short story by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1927 in Scribner’s Magazine. The story takes place in a small restaurant in the town of Summit, where two unknown men enter with a strange and threatening attitude. George, the manager, and Nick Adams, a young customer, watch with growing concern as the strangers take over the place. It soon becomes clear that they have come to kill a man named Ole Anderson. As the tension mounts, Nick finds himself caught up in a situation that brings him face to face with the brutality of violence and the inevitability of fate.
Summary of The Killers by Ernest Hemingway.
In a small town called Summit, at dusk, two men interrupt the tranquility of Henry’s Lunch-Room restaurant, where at that moment, only George, the manager, and Nick Adams, a young customer, are to be found. The visitors are dressed similarly, in overly tight coats and bowler hats. They both sit at the counter and order dinner. When George informs them that certain dishes are only served at certain times, the men react with impatience and hostility. Nick Adams watches the scene in silence from the other side of the counter as the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense.
Shortly afterward, the two men, who identify themselves as Max and Al, reveal their true intention: they have come to kill Ole Andreson, a former Swedish boxer who usually has dinner there every night at six o’clock. Max and Al take control of the premises. Al locks Nick and Sam, the cook, in the kitchen, where they are tied up and gagged. Meanwhile, Max stays at the bar with George, waiting for Ole Andreson to appear.
During the tense wait, other customers enter the café, but George, following Max’s instructions, says that the cook is not there or that he is ill. Nobody stays in the café, they all leave. Al and Max amuse themselves by making fun of George and commenting that they will kill Ole Andreson “to do someone a favor.” George, increasingly uneasy, checks the clock and sees that the time Ole usually arrives has passed. At seven, Ole has still not appeared, so the two men decide to leave, considering their attempt a failure. Al goes to the kitchen, picks up the shotgun, and, before leaving, threatens George, Nick, and Sam, warning them that they have been lucky to be alive. Then they go, crossing the street and out of sight.
Once they are free, George frees Nick and Sam. Both are shocked: the cook insists that he never wants to get involved in anything like this again. George asks Nick to go and tell Ole Andreson what has happened, as he knows where he lives. Nick heads for Hirsch’s guesthouse, where Ole stays in the last room at the end of a corridor. He finds the man lying on the bed, fully dressed, staring at the wall. Nick explains to him in detail what happened: two men entered the café to kill him. Ole listens without flinching and without seeming surprised. He is not interested in knowing what the killers looked like and has no intention of going to the police. Ole tells Nick that there is nothing he can do, that he is tired of running away, and that, sooner or later, he will leave the room when he accepts his fate.
Nick, who doesn’t know how to help, says goodbye. He returns to George, who anxiously awaits him in the café. When Nick tells him what Ole has said, they both understand that the man has resigned and does not intend to avoid the danger lurking in him. Sam, the cook, insists that nobody should get involved, while Nick admits that he wants to leave the village, as he can’t bear the idea of Ole lying in his room, knowing that they are looking to kill him. George agrees that the situation is terrible and advises him not to think about it anymore. Thus, the story ends, leaving the definitive fate of Ole Andreson up in the air and the shock that all this has caused Nick and George.
Characters from The Killers by Ernest Hemingway.
Nick Adams appears in the story as a young regular at Henry’s café. He is an involuntary observer, forced to participate in a violent episode and face the fear generated by Al and Max. Nick shows curiosity and solidarity when he decides to go in search of Ole Andreson to warn him of the danger. On learning of the latter’s resigned reaction, Nick faces a moral dilemma that causes him great anguish, as he does not understand how someone can accept fate so passively. His discomfort and his desire to leave the village reflect the psychological tension he feels at witnessing the violence and feeling powerless to prevent it.
George is the restaurant manager. Unlike Nick, he seems more experienced and aware of the world’s dangers. George remains calm during the tense interaction with the killers, trying not to provoke them and protecting Nick and the cook. George is pragmatic and realistic, and he is aware that there is little he can do in the face of the threat from the killers. However, he also shows compassion when he sends Nick to warn Ole, despite knowing it will probably be useless. George represents resignation and the acceptance that, sometimes, the forces of evil are too great to be confronted directly.
The killers, Al and Max, are the characters who generate the central tension in the story. They are two cold and sarcastic criminals who act with professional efficiency and cynicism. Their way of speaking, whole of cutting phrases and ironic comments, makes them seem almost caricatured, but their threat is real and constant. They feel no personal hatred towards Ole Anderson, and there appears to be no specific reason for killing him; they are simply carrying out an order, which makes them even more terrifying. They are the embodiment of impersonal and inescapable violence and a reminder that in their world, death can come arbitrarily and without drama.
Sam, the African-American cook, is a secondary but relevant character. His reaction to what is happening is one of absolute terror, and he is the only one who verbalizes his total rejection of the violence by repeatedly saying that he “doesn’t want any part of it.” His attitude contrasts George and Nick’s, as he does not attempt to understand or intervene; he wants to stay away. His role in the story emphasizes fear’s impact on ordinary people when faced with violence that they cannot control.
Ole Andreson is the story’s center, although he only appears at the tale’s end. A former boxer and fugitive from a violent past, he has accepted his fate with an almost inhuman passivity. His resigned attitude and his refusal to flee or seek help suggest that he has been waiting for his death for some time. He does not try to justify himself or look for a way out; he accepts that his fate is sealed. He is a tragic figure because he embodies impotence in the face of forces beyond his control, and his fate seems inevitable from past mistakes that are never fully explained. His immobility and his refusal to look at Nick or react with surprise at the news of the murders reinforce the idea that he is emotionally dead long before he is physically killed.
The secondary character of the landlady, Mrs. Bell, brings a sense of normality and everyday life to the story. She takes a passing interest in Ole’s health and merely regrets that he doesn’t want to go for walks. Although she does not participate in the violent act, her brief appearance highlights the contrast between the quiet life of a small town and the imminent doom that hangs over Ole. The boarding house itself acts as a refuge in which, however, Ole finds neither relief nor salvation, but only a place in which to await the denouement that seems inevitable.
Commentary and analysis of The Killers by Ernest Hemingway.
Ernest Hemingway’s The Killers is a short story that, at first glance, seems to revolve around an assassination attempt. Still, in reality, it explores something deeper: violence as an inescapable fact and the way people react to it. The story follows Nick Adams, a young man who, by chance, witnesses two killers arriving at a restaurant and is then confronted with a brutal truth to accept: there are men like Ole Anderson who, when they know death is stalking them, simply take it without putting up a fight.
One of the most shocking aspects of the story is the coldness with which the violence is presented. The killers, Al and Max, do not arrive shouting or showing force but with an almost indifferent attitude. They joke and make sarcastic comments, and they seem more interested in entertaining themselves than assuming their mission’s gravity. They have no personal conflict with Ole Anderson; they carry out an assignment. This makes them even more terrifying because they show that violence can be arbitrary, almost mechanical, and does not need a great deal of justification. They are cogs in a larger machine, for which we are never given a full explanation.
The characters’ reactions to the threat are fundamental to understanding the story. Being the youngest, Nick is the only one who feels the need to do something: warn Ole and look for a way to change his destiny. On the other hand, George represents a more pragmatic point of view: he understands that there is nothing to be done, and he is not too distressed about it. Sam, the cook, wants nothing to do with the matter; fear has wholly paralyzed him. And then there is Ole Andreson, who, instead of running away or asking for help, lies in bed, staring at the wall, waiting. His resignation baffles Nick and, probably, the reader too. It is not the kind of reaction we would expect from a man who knows he is about to be killed, but therein lies the real tragedy of the story: Ole is already defeated long before his killers get to him.
The narrative style lacks long descriptions and takes place in real-time, almost like a theater scene. This forces the reader to focus on the dialogue and the characters’ gestures, making the story seem more immediate and increasing the suspense as the urgency of each moment is felt. The absence of detailed explanations about the origins of the conflict or Ole’s past creates an atmosphere of mystery and inevitability. The reader realizes that the specific reasons for the crime matter less than its effects on those who witness the violence.
At the end of the story, Nick decides to leave the village because he cannot bear the idea of a man waiting for his death without doing anything. This decision is crucial because it shows he is unprepared to accept that reality. For him, Ole’s violence and resignation are incomprehensible. On the other hand, George has already accepted that this is how the world works. Hemingway may show us a contrast between youth and experience: while young people like Nick still believe that something can be done to change destiny, adults like George and Ole know that sometimes there is no escape.
The Killers is a short story, but one full of meaning. It talks about violence as an uncontrollable force, about the way people react to the inevitable, and about how brutal and indifferent the world can be. It offers no easy answers or heroes to save the day but invites readers to reflect and leaves them unease. It is a reminder that, at certain moments, life confronts us with truths that we do not want to accept and that how we respond to them defines who we are.
