It was necessary that I leave Schruns and go to New York to rearrange publishers. I did my business in New York and when I got back to Paris I should have caught the first train from the Gare de l'Est that would take me down to Austria. But the girl I was in love with was in Paris then, and I did not take the first train, or the second or the third.
This excerpt from Hemingway's 'A Moveable Feast' captures a profoundly human moment of internal conflict and the influence of love on one’s choices. The narrator outlines a series of logical, purpose-driven decisions—traveling to New York for business, returning through Paris—highlighting the typical priorities of career and logistics. However, the pivotal emotional pull—the girl in Paris—overrides these structured plans, leading to a deliberate choice of inaction. This tension between duty and desire resonates deeply, illustrating how personal relationships often complicate or derail our rational plans. Hemingway's style, with its sparse yet evocative language, emphasizes this subtle yet impactful decision. The narrator’s internal debate underscores a universal theme: love’s ability to sway our actions, often in ways that defy logical expectation. This notion is poignantly relatable, emphasizing that our choices are often dictated by emotional attachments, which may lead us into uncertainty or missed opportunities. The quote encapsulates a delicate snapshot of human vulnerability and the often unpredictable course of life, where even well-laid plans are susceptible to the influence of affection and longing. It reminds us that beneath our outward pursuits, personal feelings continuously shape our journeys, sometimes making us pause or diverge from the expected path, enriching our experience with unpredictability and depth.
