For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn
Introduction
For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn- It is not just a statement. It is story in six words which was written by Ernest Hemingway. It is one of his most reputed works. He was challenged to write a story in less than 10 words which he accomplished so brilliantly. But, does it really seem to be story? What makes this very small statement worth being called a story? This short essay deals with the ten questions which this flash fiction strikes in a reader’s mind.
The Questions
- For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn- Is it a story?
It is the first question which comes in mind. But if one analyses deeply, it becomes clear how it is actually worth a story. It is clear that a baby was to be born. So, his parents or relatives bought shoes for him/her. But it was never used. It is actually a story, though a very small one.
- What is a story actually?
The very next question comes in mind- Okay, though the six words gave a picture of a baby’s shoes being bought and never used. But how does that make it a story? Then the answer appears gradually. A story contains a plot. This sentence does- the baby is to be born. It has phases- a pair of shoes bought with happiness but sadly, it could never be worn. It has an ending- the shoes were put on sale.
- The emotional question- why could not the shoes be used? Did the baby die? It gives a heart-wrenching angle to the story. A baby is definitely the apple of eyes. Parents get so emotionally attached to even an unborn child that they start buying for him/her and planning for the future. It is so painful when a child is born still or gives up to the ghosts after birth. This perspective makes the story really moving.
- The logical question- Suppose, the baby died. Even then, how can the parents put the pair of shoes on sale? Did not they consider it worth a memory? Either they were not deeply connected to the baby or they were so greatly entrenched in memories that they wanted to remove each reminder of this mishap from their lives.
- The alternative question: Were the shoes bought by a relative or friend of the baby? Yes, that is possible. They would not hesitate to put the shoes on sale after the demise of the baby.
- The Devil’s advocate: Were the shoes really so ill-fitting and worn out? May be the pair was not worth presenting to a newly born baby. The parents cannot be rude enough to refuse the shoes gifted by their folks. It is very buyer who must have realised that the shoes are not up to the mark in beauty or quality.
- The funny part: Did the baby refuse to accept the pair of shoes for they were spoiling the beauty of feet? The child must have turned out to be choosy and refused to step into the shoes which did not appeal to his/her sense of juvenile fashion.
- The wandering thoughts: How much a pair of shoes can be sold for? Is the seller so much in dearth of money or is he simply out of his mind?
- The stupid question: Was the baby born with defective or no feet? Well, that is sad for the baby as well as ironic for the ‘shoes’. Some genetic mutation or complication in pregnancy might have led to feetless baby. So, the shoes are unused.
- Is this six word flash fiction actually worth all the recognition that people are reading and writing on it? Or is it simply the association with Ernest Hemingway which has given the simple line so much of significance? Well, this question can be analysed. And one would finally conclude that this short story is actually a good work. It gives us a whole context to imagine and understand. We can perceive this story as heart-wrenching by associating in with the baby’s death. We can take it to be hilarious taking into consideration the ugliness of shoes or the baby’s fashionable likes and dislikes.
Conclusion
No matter how many questions flash across the mind to read this line- For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn. But it opens a wide scope of thinking. Hence, it is a story. Appreciate it or condemn, it is regarded as one of the best flash fictions till date. So, let’s at least rekindle the thought process to honour its author- the great Ernest Hemingway.
