Ernest Hemingway Big Two-Hearted River Escapism

Success comes only to those who stand firm throughout the trials and tribulations the world has to offer, as many people come to realize through the gaining of their personal life experience. In “Big Two-Hearted River, Part I”, Ernest Hemingway utilizes figurative language such as symbolism, imagery, and metaphors in order to impart and emphasize the importance of one’s determination to endure the challenges of existence in relation to their overall prosperity. Readers are led to reflect on how persevering through the negative experiences in one’s life can ultimately lead to positive experiences, as well as the role perseverance plays in the lifelong search for stability. According to Hemingway, the only method of attaining true

“Big Two-Hearted River” finds Nick in a place of depression, it seems, one where he has no choice but to go through the motions, focus one task at a time, and drift through his life. He goes place to place, task to task, focusing solely on

In both “Big Two-Hearted River: I & II” and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Nick and Prufrock shared the same emotional suffering of feeling alone and isolated. Even though these two men were in a completely different scenario and in a different geographical location they both dealt with the pain loneliness. Not only is Prufrock is lonely, he also feels a sense of hopelessness of not able to seal the deal with the woman of

Throughout Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Big Two-Hearted River,” readers follow the journey of a young man named Nick Adams as he traverses the Michigan countryside. Initially, it appears as though Nick is simply partaking in a peaceful, solitary fishing trip, but as the story progresses it becomes apparent that this trip has a hidden purpose behind it. Occasional erratic actions in Nick’s behavior show that he is constantly attempting to suppress a deep internal turmoil. Though Hemingway never blatantly articulates that Nick is a soldier returning from the war, minute details such as Nick’s short, action-driven thoughts convey a sense that he is emotionally and mentally damaged from war-based experiences. Hemingway’s subtle indications of

Legendary Beard Fact: One of the most macho literary beards of all time. Hemingway's beard came about because he thought it would give him something to do. As if his life wasn’t full enough!

While some readers may claim that both short stories appear as though there is a resolution or ending, there is a larger scope to both of the stories’ endings in which the reader is not fully certain of the outcomes of Nick Adams and Big Boy. Therefore the endings are suspended and leave the reader guessing. The suspended endings of both stories impress differentiating after-lasting emotions on the reader as the motives for which each main character heads towards the cities diverge. “Big Boy Leaves Home” imparts a hopeful but skeptical ending perspective due to the uncertainty if Big Boy is truly safer away from the South, whereas “Big Two-Hearted River” conveys a positivistic ending for Nick Adams as a “Hemingway code hero” his healing process.

The writer/artist that I chose to enlighten you with has inspired many writers as well as literature majors for many years. He continues to tickle our imaginations with the legacy that he has left us with. This man was as genuine as you can get. He was loved by many. He made an impact on any life that he came across. This man is non other than, Ernest Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway became one of the most notorious writers in the 20th century, likely due to his abnormal style of writing. Hemingway in his writing introduced the new concept of Iceberg Theory which gives the story a implicit meaning made by the author that should be further inferred by the reader. In order to achieve this style Hemingway throughout his works used objects and movements by characters to symbolize emotion, actions and other deeper objects. Many of Hemingway's symbols reoccur among different stories; one of his most recurring symbols is a train/tracks which is used in following “Big Two Hearted River”,”Canary”,and “Hills like White Elephants”. In the first story “ Big Two Hearted River” the train makes an appearance near the

Ernest Hemingway is well known throughout American literature for his unique style of writing, which contributed greatly to the overall effect and meaning of his stories. Before writing short stories, Hemingway was a journalist, which is where he adopted many of his unique techniques of writing. While writing as a journalist, Hemingway tended to write pieces that contained brief, choppy sentences and were generally minimalistic and terse. More importantly, this is where Hemingway developed his skill for writing “on the surface”. Hemingway’s use of the iceberg effect, diction, and syntax were largely what made him successful due to the contributions these styles had on his stories.

Ernest Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River” uses language to explore Nick’s carefree attitude. Nick’s actions, speech, and thoughts validate this claim.

mentions his wife often but never what she does. By context and the younger waiters desire it

Ernest Hemingway’s story Big Two-Hearted River tells the story of a young man who returns to his old fishing hole after the war. Nick, is his name and he returns home faced with some of the same feeling and thoughts of war. Although, he did have a home to return to, everything around him appeared demolished, at least in his mind. Nick, did what any other man returning home for war would do. He packed a backpack and set off for a fishing and camping trip, an attempt to escape reality, even if it was just to go fishing for a few days. As described in the story “the trout keeping themselves steady in the current with wavering fins” (Hemingway, 2015) which may resemble control of life and movement, “Nick’s obsession with controlling small details speaks to a deeply wounded man” (McDavid, 2013). As the trout in the water use its fins to control its’ movement, overcoming obstacles, Nick attempts to do the same. With a fishing pole and a backpack filled with useful tools,

According to Hemingway biographer James R. Mellon, Hemingway regarded "Big Two-Hearted River" as the "climactic story in [his short story collection] In Our Time and the culminating episode in the Nick Adams adventures that he included in the book."

Another recurrent theme in Hemingway’s works is fishing and its role regarding faith. Fishing is something that is used as a relief for the characters. For example, in “Big Two-Hearted River,” Nick Adams uses fishing as a relief from his wartime struggles. Nick respects fishing because of the beauty of nature and he dislikes those people who disregard its importance. Hemingway uses fishing as a connection to faith and uses it as a source of hope and a way to find God through the action. Nick Adams was able to learn about himself and come to know his identity through fishing in a secluded area in nature. Hemingway does a fantastic job of connecting fishing to prayer, which is directly connected to the fact that fishing heals the characters of

Hemingway is one of the greatest American writers of the twentieth century. In his works A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway uses damaged soldiers to reveal war in its real nature and how it effects people. He tries to show to people that war is not made out how it looks in movies, posters, etc. He also feels that war is unproductive by nature and that most goals in war are mostly pointless. He also shows readers that military conflict often causes people to have shallow values and to hide their pain.