The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway Chapter Summary & Analysis - "Under the Ridge" Summary

"Under the Ridge" Summary

Edwin films the battles of the Spanish Civil War. He rests with some soldiers hiding in the caves. One of these soldiers, called "The Extremaduran," describes his dislike of all foreigners. He dislikes Russians, specifically, because of an incident involving one of his soldiers. Paco, a young frightened soldier, shoots his own hand to avoid going to battle. His hand has to be amputated. His Russian superiors shoot him as an example for all the other men who might think of injuring themselves to get out of battle. The narrator heads back to Madrid, hoping to write about the incidents after the war is over.

"Under the Ridge" Analysis

While the fascist's side is united, the loyalist side is made up of a number of groups, including the Spanish royal family, the communists, and more. This makes many of the loyalists groups very conflicted, because of their different backgrounds. In this story, the Spanish...
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