The Killers

by

Ernest Hemingway

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Nick Adams Character Analysis

The story’s young and naive protagonist, Nick Adams is in Henry’s diner talking to George when two hitmen, Max and Al, come in and take them hostage. Nick is bound and gagged in the kitchen with the cook, Sam, while Max tells George of the plan to kill Ole Andreson. Nick gets free, though, and, at George’s suggestion, agrees to go warn Ole about the hitmen. Throughout the story, Nick tries to be stoic and brave. He tries not to react when he’s freed as a hostage, and he finds the courage to risk his life and safety to go warn Ole because he believes that it’s the right thing to do. This seemingly relates to a belief that death is awful and avoidable, and that evil shouldn’t win. However, Nick is disappointed and confused when he finds that Ole is already resigned to his fate. Seemingly not understanding Ole’s resolve, Nick makes several suggestions for how Ole could get away, but Ole tells him that he’s “through with all that running around” and is unwilling to do anything to save himself. Nick struggles to understand Ole’s seeming indifference towards death as he returns to the diner to tell Sam and George what happened. Sam refuses to listen, but George briefly talks to Nick about what “an awful thing” it is. Feeling overwhelmed, Nick says he plans to leave town and that he can’t stop thinking about it, but George tells him to put it out of his mind. Nick is left feeling disillusioned and frustrated by the idea that Ole can’t be saved. He has become a little more mature through this episode, as he can now conceive of the reality of death, but he’s not yet mature enough to look death in the face and accept it.

Nick Adams Quotes in The Killers

The The Killers quotes below are all either spoken by Nick Adams or refer to Nick Adams. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Innocence and Experience Theme Icon
).
The Killers Quotes

“Listen,” George said to Nick. “You better go see Ole Andreson.”

“All right.”

“You better not have anything to do with it at all,” Sam, the cook, said. “You stay out of it.”

“Don’t go if you don’t want to,” George said.

“Mixing up in this ain’t going to get you anywhere,” the cook said. “You stay out of it.”

“I’ll go see him,” Nick said to George.

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), George (speaker), Sam (speaker), Ole Andreson
Page Number: 220
Explanation and Analysis:

“They put us out in the kitchen,” Nick went on. “They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper.”

Ole Andreson looked at the wall and did not say anything.

“George thought I better come and tell you about it.”

“There isn’t anything I can do about it,” Ole Andreson said.

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), Ole Andreson (speaker), Sam, Max, Al
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“The only thing is,” he said, talking toward the wall,” I just can’t make up my mind to go out. I been in here all day.”

“Couldn’t you get out of town?”

“No,” Ole Andreson said. “I’m through with all that running around.”

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), Ole Andreson (speaker)
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“I can’t stand to think about him waiting in the room and knowing he’s going to get it. It’s too damned awful.”

“Well,” said George, “you better not think about it.”

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), George (speaker), Ole Andreson
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 222
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Killers LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Killers PDF

Nick Adams Quotes in The Killers

The The Killers quotes below are all either spoken by Nick Adams or refer to Nick Adams. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Innocence and Experience Theme Icon
).
The Killers Quotes

“Listen,” George said to Nick. “You better go see Ole Andreson.”

“All right.”

“You better not have anything to do with it at all,” Sam, the cook, said. “You stay out of it.”

“Don’t go if you don’t want to,” George said.

“Mixing up in this ain’t going to get you anywhere,” the cook said. “You stay out of it.”

“I’ll go see him,” Nick said to George.

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), George (speaker), Sam (speaker), Ole Andreson
Page Number: 220
Explanation and Analysis:

“They put us out in the kitchen,” Nick went on. “They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper.”

Ole Andreson looked at the wall and did not say anything.

“George thought I better come and tell you about it.”

“There isn’t anything I can do about it,” Ole Andreson said.

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), Ole Andreson (speaker), Sam, Max, Al
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“The only thing is,” he said, talking toward the wall,” I just can’t make up my mind to go out. I been in here all day.”

“Couldn’t you get out of town?”

“No,” Ole Andreson said. “I’m through with all that running around.”

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), Ole Andreson (speaker)
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“I can’t stand to think about him waiting in the room and knowing he’s going to get it. It’s too damned awful.”

“Well,” said George, “you better not think about it.”

Related Characters: Nick Adams (speaker), George (speaker), Ole Andreson
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 222
Explanation and Analysis: