I read this story two or three times before I really, really understood it (of course, I'm interpreting the story a certain way, and you might see it differently).

Should I talk about what I think the story means? Does this story have a common interpretation that everybody (except me) understands right away?

I'll say a few general things here:
The story is about a young boy who never ages, so he always looks young, and despite the fact that many people would give anything for this, he doesn't seem very happy. There's a vague feeling of sadness throughout the whole thing. So why is he sad? When I was finally able to answer this question I understood the story. And what is Ray trying to say here? What kind of message is trying to say about growing up, getting older, etc.

Everyone wants to be young forever. Rays' story about Mr. Electrico (http://www.raybradbury.com/inhiswords02.html) is one of the greatest and most inspiring things I've ever read anywhere. So it's interesting to compare that story with Hail And Fairwell. On one hand, Mr. Electrico told Ray to live forever, and that changed his life and inspired him to be a great writer. But later, he realized that perhaps living forever wouldn't be the greatest thing in the world(?)

Maybe we can start a little discussion here about this story. I actually think that this is one of the deepest and most meaningful things he's ever written.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DavidTVC15,

Very interesting observations, DavidTVC15. I can't resist pointing out, though, that there is a difference between "living forever" and being "stuck" at the same age forever - this being the fate of the boy in "Hail and Farewell".

I think the story can be contrasted with "Peter Pan". Another interesting story to compare it with is Harlan Ellison's "Jeffty is Five", which has a similar premise and sense of melancholy.

actually, no.

what difference is there between living forever and being -stuck, as you put it- at one age? barring the really scary stasis of your routine, run of the mill vampire, say, is there any difference in being 11 forever or being 35? the loneliness and isolation is present for both. each has it's positives and negatives vis a vis getting by in the unsuspecting society.

it is the beginnings and the ends that make the middle relevant. all would be lost in living forever.

I agree with some of what you say, aprwitch, but if you continued to age along with your peers, life wouldn't be SO extraordinary...until your peers died, one by one, and you were left alone. In this type of "living forever", you would just get older and older...probably ending up in a terrible physical state, but still being alive at the age of 200, 300, 400, etc. The first 120 years wouldn't be substantially different from the life that you or I will experience. (Although 120+ would be rather grim!)

The tragedy of the boy in Hail and Farewell is not just that he will live forever (we assume), but that he is unable to change as others change. Hence, the REPEATED sadness for him of having to break bonds with people every few years, when he no longer "fits in" with their lives.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
The tragedy of the boy in Hail and Farewell is not just that he will live forever (we assume), but that he is unable to change as others change. Hence, the REPEATED sadness for him of having to break bonds with people every few years, when he no longer "fits in" with their lives.

Also a statement about the fate of the secular man. He only has the things around him to relate to.

Reading all of the responses here has made me think of the movie "Groundhog Day", a great and sadly neglected film, about a man who is sort of stuck in an endless loop where he keeps living the same day over and over again. Despite the fact that it stars Bill Murry and was marketed as a light comedy, it's deep and makes you really think about stuff.

Hey Phil, we both live in SF! Have you ever been to Borderlands?

Everyone has to grow up sometime. You can't be young forever. No one can. This is what I get from the story. At a certain point in your life, when perhaps you are old enough to be more of a realist that an idealist, you must face this fact. You have to grow up, and you have to start acting like a mature adult. Yes, some people manage to be clowns and magicians and circus people for most or all of their lives (I know a lot of people like that, including the current ringmaster of the Ringling Bros. Circus, who is a friend of mine). But these people are few and far in between.

Notice that I didn't say that this is the message of the story. I wouldn't presume to say that. but that's what I get out of it. I don't why but I just had to say that.

Compare to Bradbury's "Farewell Summer" which is a novel that talks about the requirement of aging, change, and death for life to be full and real. The statis of life is what kills. At 54 I'm in law school. As we go through life we have to redefine outselves through change. There are parts of us that remain, but parts of us that MUST change as we grow. Also, at some point, the reality of death is a gift that lets us live each moment in passion. We DON'T have forever to live in this state, and so we must live it fully. Part of life is defining what "Living it fully" means. So it is a great story. And one thing it's about is accepting the reality of change and death; and in seeing them for what they are--the keys of living our lives fully.

I've enjoyed your comments on this thread.

This, to me, is one of Mr. B's "what if...?" stories.
Of course, in his masterful hands the concept-becoming-short-story development is uniquely executed and thought-provoking.