A Simple Enquiry

A Simple Enquiry is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway. It was published in 1927 in the collection Men Without Women.^[1]

Synopsis

Three Italian soldiers are snowbound. The senior soldier, the Major, calls his 19-year-old orderly into his room and questions him about his personal life. He appears to be propositioning the orderly; when his advances are effectively rebuffed he dismisses the orderly from the room, with the understanding that he will not press the issue. His adjutant is the ambiguous witness.

Characters

• The major
• Tonani, an adjutant
• Pinin, the major's orderly

Analysis

This short piece is deceptively complex. On the surface, it seems like a simple story about homosexuality in the military. However, there are a few small details that raise many questions.

First of all, if the Major was genuinely interested in initiating a "relationship" with Pinin, surely he would have reacted differently to the orderly's disinterest? His primary concern seems to be deescalating the awkwardness by encouraging the boy to stay, but telling him he can go back to his platoon if he wants to. Perhaps he was just curious, and wanted to satisfy his curiosity?

Conversely, the fact that the Major has been reading all of Pinin's letters does indicate an unusual level of interest in the boy's personal life. Maybe that was just protocol, and the Major happened to notice Pinin's lack of a love life? Or perhaps it wasn't, and the Major pointedly read all of the orderly's letters to assess his sexuality? The Major may have had a hunch based on happenings Hemingway didn't include in the story.

Pinin claims to be in love with a woman, but he does not write her, and seems very embarrassed by the Major's question. That's suspicious, and suggests that the Major may be right. Furthermore, when Pinin exits the Major's room, Tonani the adjutant smiles knowingly, as though he understands what transpired behind the closed door. Perhaps he and the Major had a conversation about this before the story began? Or maybe Tonani had a similar experience with the Major? This could be the Major's routine; he knows exactly what he wants, but is dedicated to being discrete and polite about it.

The themes of "A Simple Enquiry" - the ambiguity, shame, and secrecy surrounding homosexuality in the early 20th century - may have stemmed from Hemingway's personal experience. Many argue that in addition to being a paradigm of masculinity, Hemingway was gay. This story certainly points towards his interest in (and maybe even experience with?) these matters.

References

Text of 'A Simple Enquiry' at scribd.com