In his short story, “Big Two-Hearted River”, Ernest Hemingway focuses on the mental and emotional state of Nick, the protagonist, who “le[aves] everything behind” during a wilderness fishing trip. Traumatic thoughts and memories haunt Nick, but the cause of his inner turmoil is not disclosed in the story. Other short stories by Hemingway, however, reveal that Nick Adams is a wounded veteran who served in the First World War. To distract himself from these painful memories, Nick concentrates on the physical details of his journey such as making camp and preparing food. In addition to self-distraction, he attempts to inhibit his ability to think through hunger and physical exhaustion. By examining how Nick uses these techniques of mental control …show more content…
During his journey, his desire for solitude is explicit: “Nick did not like to fish with other men on the river. Unless they were of your party, they spoiled it.” In his emotionally fragile state, Nick is ill-prepared to handle the “unpredictable variable” posed by fishing companions. Consequently, he chooses to travel alone into the wilderness, interacting only with characters from the natural world such as grasshoppers and trout. Through his decision to embark on a solo journey, he is able to place more control over the external environment which is a crucial element of his rehabilitation. Without the uncertainty of other men’s words and actions, Nick is once again able to gain further internal stability. Stewart, however, attributes a different reason for Nick’s preference for solitude, suggesting that “his mindfulness sets him apart from the careless fishermen who ‘spoil it’ for those who truly love the activity.” This conclusion is certainly valid, for Nick’s expression of dislike follows a memory of the irresponsible fishing practices that resulted in trout dying from white fungus. Nevertheless, Nick states that he is not bothered by the company of like-minded fishermen. If his primary concern was indeed the conscientiousness of his fishing companions, as opposed to their unpredictable nature, it is less likely that he would have made the decision to travel alone. Additionally, Nick’s ultimate goal for the fishing trip is not simply catching trout, but rather gaining internal stability and peace. Although he finds satisfaction in this activity, enjoyment alone is not a deciding factor in his choice to travel without other fishermen. Regardless of his reasoning, this decision is important as it provides him with a much-needed feeling of security and simplicity. As the only human character to directly appear in “Big Two-Hearted River”,
Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills like White Elephants." Responding to Literature. Ed. Judith Stanford. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. 841-44. Print.
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
While reading Ernest Hemingway's short story 'Big Two Hearted River,'; one might think that it is just about a man named Nick Adams returning to Seney, to go camping and fishing. It may not be clear to some readers why the town of Seney is burned down or why Hemingway talks about each of Nick's action in great amount of detail. While first reading the story one might not notice that Hemingway has many symbolic parts, so that he can get the true meaning of the story across to the reader. The story is truly about Nick Adams wanting to get on with his life enjoying to its fullest and putting all of the awful events that have happened to him in the past.
The theme of change is showed in the opening of the story when Nick returns his hometown from war and walks along the rail road. Seeing this burned over country and seeking the beauty from nature, as Hemingway wrote on page 1 of “Big Two-Hearted River” “There was...
Werlock, Abby H. P. "Women in the Garden: Hemingway's 'Summer People' and 'The Last Good Country'." Ernest Hemingway: The Oak Park Legacy. Ed. James Nagel. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 1996. 124-44.
There are many parallels to Hemingway’s life and his main character’s development. First in “Indian Camp” chapter one, we are introduced to Nick Adams and his father. They are on a boat going to an Indian camp to operate on a woman who cannot deliver her baby. The simple connection to Hemingway’s life is that his father was...
Hemingway uses the symbolism of the “train” and the “curtain” to show how when making a difficult decisions
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants”. Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 4th Compact Ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2008. 290-293.
Hemingway’s view of success is different than most others. Santiago was defeated by the sharks and lost his marlin. Tourists even mistake the skeleton for one of a shark. The head, which is the only thing left, will be used as bait. Santiago gets no money or food from the fish. He does not receive any material gain from his grueling three day fight with the marlin (Gale). “It appears that the old man has been beaten, but the reality is that he has remained undefeated in his struggle against himself, his exhaustion, and the temptation to abandon the fight” (Pazos). As Manolin tells Santiago, “He didn't beat you. Not the fish” (Hemingway 124). Santiago pushed through till the end and did all he could to keep away the sharks. He did not give in to the temptation of cutting the line and giving up (Pazos). Hemingway shows that success is not always measured in material gain, but in personal gain. The old man tells himself, “You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food...You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman” (Hemingway 105). Santiago does not get the $300 h...
This research paper will analyze style and theme in two of Ernest Hemingway's short stories, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Big Two-Hearted River," and two novels, The Sun Also Rises and Green Hills of Africa.1
... readers who will not interpret his work psychoanalytically, and who will possibly find a new variation on their selves through reading the oedipal complex presented in the latent content of “Big Two-Hearted River.” For those reading psychoanalytically, however, the piece is brimming with latent meaning. Whether Hemingway understood his transference, or not, cannot be determined, and shouldn’t be determined, but one cannot help but wonder whether he resisted the analyst who questioned a title as phallic as “Big Two-Hearted River.”
Moderation is fully evident in Hemingway’s characters. Santiago, the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea, firmly balances two contrasting qualities - his humility and pride. Santiago reveals his humble nature when Manolin asserts that he is the best fisherman to which Santiago replies “No. I know others better.” (The Old Man and the Sea 23). Meanwhile Santiago’s attempt to capture the fish and prove that he is a capable man despite his old age signifies that he retains a certain level of pride for his masculinity. Humility is the antithesis of pride, yet, the old man has the ability to retain both through moderation. Emotions are not the only characteristics to be moderated; actions as well as speech must be balanced. In “Indian Camp”, the father explains a mature topic –the act of givin...
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet,” Helen Keller once said. “Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition be inspired, and success achieved.” Through suffering emerges triumph and through struggle there is honor. Ernest Hemingway’s fictional novella, The Old Man and the Sea, is a simply written account which tells about an old man’s courage, perseverance, and his victory in spite of being destroyed. The protagonist Santiago, is an elderly fisherman, who recently does not seem so successful in his fishing career; however, one day, as he goes out to sea, a large marlin seems to have bit his hook. After spending three days at sea in pursuit of the fish, though returning home empty handed, Santiago earns the respect he deserves for his dedication and undying determination despite the odds. In The Old Man and the Sea honor in struggle and suffering is shown in Santiago’s hero, DiMaggio, the way Santiago is compared with Christ, and Santiago’s ultimate battle with the Marlin.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952. Print.
O’Connor, Flannery. “The River.” The Complete Stories. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1971. 157-174. Print.