"Big Two-Hearted River"

Book Review # 99930

English > Analysis
Literature > American

This paper analyzes Ernest Hemingway's short stoy, "Big Two-Hearted River" from his collection, "In Our Time".

1,689 words () | 1 source | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the short story "Big Two Hearted-River" as an allegory of healing. The paper focuses on the significance of the attempts of the main character, Nick Adams, to heal himself from the effects of a vaguely defined traumatic experience in his history. The paper explains Nick's psychological development throughout Hemingway's work and describes how Hemingway presents the realization of a sense of "masculinity" as being the key to Nick Adams' healing process.

From the Paper:

"The opening of "Big Two-Hearted River" is initially puzzling for it becomes clear very quickly that Hemingway's protagonist, Nick Adams, is not simply on a fishing trip in this story. Instead, Nick seems to be somehow escaping from the world and human civilization. Even in the earliest descriptions of this escape, hard work and struggle are shown to be rewarding values: "It was hard work walking up-hill. His muscles ached and the day was hot, but Nick felt happy. He felt he had left everything behind, the need for thinking, the need to write, other needs. It was all back of him. (Hemingway 134)"