Modernism in “Big Two-Hearted River”
The two-part story, Big Two-Hearted River, typifies the style and techniques of modernism with regard to the treatment of its subject and the element of characterization. The focus of the story is on the single protagonist, Nick Adams who carries on with his life with little concern about the chaos that reign in the background (Hemingway 14). Elements of modernism in this story manifest in the sense in which the author fosters the sense of regeneration in the story. In essence, this story appears to reveal the main character’s determination to stay aloof from the shackles of life and the ravages of war that seem to envelop the world in which he lives. There is a sense in which the orderliness and tranquility
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In their literary works, there is the obvious attempt to show the resilience of the protagonists against the disabling effects of chaos. In this story, the lead character Nick Adams is fully absorbed in his interactions with nature to the extent that he is unaware of the chaos that rages around him (Hemingway 17). The idea of regeneration applies in the sense in which he feels a certain measure of satisfaction in the small details of life. The protagonist pays close attention to the grasshoppers, trout, and the subtle details of nature that combine to give his life some unique appeal. The vibrancy of nature is clearly manifest in the subtle life forms that lurk almost unnoticed in the protagonists’ …show more content…
Among the similarities between them is the fact that they are both afflicted by private concerns that seem to torment them at the subconscious level. Their mental torments and the desire to renew themselves align them to the characteristics of the “Modern” man. Nick is intent on the search for relief from the horrifying realities of war. His mind is disturbed by the violence and the carnage of war. He looks forwards to nature and the external world to supply him with new hope and assurance of continuity from the horrors of war. In nearly similar fashion, Prufrock is disturbed at the mental level because of low self-esteem. He thinks that his looks are not sufficiently attractive, that is why he projects a despondent image. However, the two characters are different in the sense that Nick seeks for a chance of renewal and rejuvenation from nature whereas Prufrock sinks further into his sub consciousness to find a redeeming image of
With an evident attempt at objectivity, the syntax of Passage 1 relies almost entirely on sentences of medium length, uses a few long sentences for balance, and concludes with a strong telegraphic sentence. The varying sentence length helps keep the readers engaged, while also ensuring that the writing remains succinct and informative. Like the varying sentence length, the sentence structures vary as complex sentences are offset by a few scattered simple sentences. The complex sentences provide the necessary description, and the simple sentences keep the writing easy to follow. Conversely, Passage 2 contains mostly long, flowing sentences, broken up by a single eight word sentence in the middle. This short sentence, juxtaposed against the length of the preceding and following sentences, provides a needed break in the text, but also bridges the ideas of the two sentences it falls between. The author employs the long sentences to develop his ideas and descriptions to the fullest extent, filling the sentences with literary elements and images. Coupled...
Dan Millman said that "Choice means saying no to one thing so you can say yes to another." All choices have consequences either good or bad. Within "The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant," by W. D. Wetherell, choices also have consequences for the narrator. The narrator, love-stricken by Sheila Mant, attempts to do anything he can to obtain her love. However, the narrator makes rash choices based on his superficial desire for Sheila which leads to negative repercussions. Through the narrator's unfavorable encounter with Shiela Mant, the narrator's internal conflict reinforces the theme of the story, that choices founded on superficial values often have undesirable consequences.
Among the first indicators of Nick’s unreliability as a narrator is shown through his extreme misunderstanding of his father’s advice. When Nick’s father told him that “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had” (1) he most likely meant not all people have the same opportunities in life. However, Nick perverted his father’s meaning and understood it as “a sense of the fundamental decencies us parceled out unequally at birth” (2). Nick’s interpretation of his father’s advice provides insight into his conceited, somewhat supercilious attitude, as he believes that not all people are born with the same sense of manners and morality.
Love, an emotion that grips over people in intense ways, and holds them for an everlasting time. In the short story called “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant” written by W.D. Wetherell shows how love, or having a passion for someone, or something can drive a person into doing things in different ways. The story deals with the narrator trying to impress and go out with a girl named Sheila Mant, but at the same, the narrator loves fishing very much, so these two different passions would go in conflict with each other in the story. The theme of the story is not letting your love of something be overshadowed by anything else. The story portrays the theme through literary devices such as; the characterization of the narrator, the ironies involved
2. The first reason for this thesis stems from the point of view used in the story. The point of view exemplified is one of third person, more specifically one who is omniscient. The story’s message could not be conveyed from the first person, due to the fact that virtually everyone in the writing at hand is not only unable, but unwilling to figure out the true nature of their surroundings.
In The Heath Anthology of American Literature, Volume II. Edited by Paul Lauter et al. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 1991: 1208-1209. Hemingway, Ernest. A.
The paragraph starts with a description of his liking for New York, using lucid examples of why he does, such as “the satisfaction that the constant flicker of men and women...gives to the restless eye” (Fitzgerald 56). He goes on to picture himself picking up women from Fifth Avenue, becoming involved romantically, fantasizing about being welcomed into their homes. There is a shift in tone, however, after this fantasy, wherein Nick expounds his isolation: “I felt a haunting loneliness sometimes” (Fitzgerald 56). His heart sympathizes with the individuals having to work nights, in order to feed themselves, instead of seizing the moment and partaking in the pleasures the city has to offer. These vivid descriptions work to present Nick’s character and mental process, and are central to his development as
Belonging is a fluid concept that adapts and shifts within a person’s lifetime. It is subjective and can encourage feelings of security, happiness and acceptance or conversely alienation and dislocation. One's perception of belonging, and therefore identity, is significantly influenced by place and relationships established within one's environment. This is evident in Steven Herrick's free verse novel “The Simple Gift” and the short story “The River that wasn’t ours” by Ashley Reynolds.
“This passage describes the narrator’s spiritual nadir, and may be said to represent her transition from conscious struggle against the daylight world to her immersion in the nocturnal world of unconscious-or, in other terms, from idle fancy to empowering imagination” (Johnson 525). Which was supported when Jane attempted to fight the urge to engage in her unconscious state. “And it is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern. I don’t like it a bit. I wonder – I begin to think- I wish John would take me away from here!” (Gilman 92). This exhibits the struggle Jane was facing while trying to maintain her conscious state of mind. However, John felt that if she was taken out of her environment she would go crazy, which ironically led to her slow decline into the unconscious mind. “There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down” (Gilman 89). It was here that Jane began giving human characteristics to inanimate objects. As Gilman’s story continues, Jane gradually becomes more entranced by her imagination. “There is one marked peculiarity about this paper, a thing nobody seems to notice but myself, and that is that it changes as the light changes” (Gilman 94). Displaying the idea that Jane was immersed in her unconscious world, validating the Johnson’s argument that Jane progressively develops into her unconscious mind throughout the
When a writer picks up their pen and paper, begins one of the most personal and cathartic experiences in their lives, and forms this creation, this seemingly incoherent sets of words and phrases that, read without any critical thinking, any form of analysis or reflexion, can be easily misconstrued as worthless or empty. When one reads an author’s work, in any shape or form, what floats off of the ink of the paper and implants itself in our minds is the author’s personality, their style. Reading any of the greats, many would be able to spot the minute details that separates each author from another; whether it be their use of dialogue, their complex descriptions, their syntax, or their tone. When reading an excerpt of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast one could easily dissect the work, pick apart each significant moment from Hemingway’s life and analyze it in order to form their own idea of the author’s voice, of his identity. Ernest Hemingway’s writing immediately comes across as rather familiar in one sense. His vocabulary is not all that complicated, his layout is rather straightforward, and it is presented in a simplistic form. While he may meander into seemingly unnecessary detail, his work can be easily read. It is when one looks deeper into the work, examines the techniques Hemingway uses to create this comfortable aura surrounding his body of work, that one begins to lift much more complex thoughts and ideas. Hemingway’s tone is stark, unsympathetic, his details are precise and explored in depth, and he organizes his thoughts with clarity and focus. All of this is presented in A Moveable Feast with expertise every writer dreams to achieve. While Hemingway’s style may seem simplistic on the surface, what lies below is a layered...
Coming home from the grueling experience of being a soldier in World War I, he felt ecstatic when he saw a trout swimming in the stream. The perils of war took a devastating toll on Nick, as he suffered from a physical wound while in action. The camping trip here is like an oasis, which will let Nick to recover from all the distress. “Nick looked down into the pool from the bridge. It was a hot day. A kingfisher flew up from the stream. It was a long time since Nick had looked into a stream and seen trout. They were very satisfactory...Nick’s heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling.” (178) The healing process begins here with Nick re-acclimating himself with one of his favorite hobbies: fishing. “He started down to the stream, holding his rod...Nick felt awkward and professionally happy with all the equipment hanging from him...His mouth dry, his heart down...Holding the rod far out toward the uprooted tree and sloshing backward in the current, Nick worked the trout, plunging, the rod bending alive, out of the danger of the weeds into the open river. Holding the rod, pumping alive against the current, Nick brought the trout in...” (190,193,195) Nick finally reels in a trout after the big one got away, getting to the feeling of relaxation and washing away the horrors of war. By pitching his tent out in the forest and being able to function by himself so smoothly, Nick shows how he represents the trait of stoicism. He did not complain or stop living, coming back with the trauma of war. Going camping, he is able to relieve himself through using all the nature around him, showcasing his
The world of Ernest Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” exists through the mostly unemotional eyes of the character Nick. Stemming from his reactions and the suppression of some of his feelings, the reader gets a sense of how Nick is living in a temporary escape from society and his troubles in life. Despite the disaster that befell the town of Seney, this tale remains one of an optimistic ideal because of the various themes of survival and the continuation of life. Although Seney itself is a wasteland, the pine plain and the campsite could easily be seen as an Eden, lush with life and ripe with the survival of nature.
In conclusion, the author’s choice of utilizing the third person narration is what provided the high level of ignorance, as the voice concentrated on the protagonist husband. It brought the reader to the place of how inadequately the husband treated the wife and how he was oblivious of how his actions affected her. The reader is also able to envision that the protagonist is not cognizant that he is not being truthful to himself. It permits the reader to realize the how boring, prideful, thoughtless, and insensitive the protagonist is overall.
The art, literature, and poetry of the early 20th century called for a disruption of social values. Modernism became the vague term to describe the shift. The characteristics of the term Modernism, all seek to free the restricted human spirit. It had no trust in the moral conventions and codes of the past. One of the examples of modernism, that breaks the conventions and traditions of literature prior to Modernism, is Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants”. The short story uses plot, symbolism, setting, dialogue, and a new style of writing to allow human spirit to experiment with meaning and interpretation.
Baker, Sheridan. "Hemingway?s Two-Hearted River." The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Critical Essays. Ed. Jackson, J. Benson. Durham: Duke UP, 1975. 158.