Monday, April 12, 2010
Aauzsa Mack (Blog 6)
"Big Two Hearted River" by Hemingway was more directed toward change and what types of impacts it has on nature as well as human beings. The first thing Nick noticed when he got off of the train is that the town was no longer there, that it was burnt down. Coming home to that type of event can change ones view of the world especially when coming home from a war. The town could have been the town that Nick grew up in or had some close relatives there or it could have been the town in which his home was established in either way it had an impact on Nick's life that could possible lead him to think that he was active in a war for no reason. There are many other symbols of change in the story i.e. the grasshoppers symbolized change also because they had to adapt to the change around them which was also the burnt town. In the story the only time Nick got excited is when fishing. He fishing could represent a new life and a fresh start being that the fish always flowed with the river and he did not like fishing in the swamp. The fish is what helped Nick to cope with the life and the devastation of having to come back home from the war and seeing that the town is burnt down and him having to start his life all over again.
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What a great small summary of this story. I think that the change factor that you talk about throughout the story has a point where you see it happen, but at the end we see another change or step of change to take. I think that not only the fishing, but so many other things in nature make Nick Adams happy. The fern in which he rubbed against his pack, the nice hike, the camp and tent, his dinner, and the fishing all made Nick like a natural being. His happiness in the small things kind of was the rebirth of him. Exceptional story about a man returning from war, because I can guarantee that any soldier will relate with Nick on his journey.
ReplyDeleteIm glad to see that "Mini Buffy" took notice to the symbolism in the story. This poem seems to be basic entirely on symbolism and how people get a new start. For the man, he was probably back from war and in fact wanted to find that new start for himself. Fishing granted him that though when he first returned to the town it probably reminded him of the war he had thought he left behind. As Fhlug stated, other things make Nick happy, "the fern in which he rubbed against his pack, the nice hike, the camp and tent, his dinner, and the fishing."
ReplyDeleteI like all three of their views on the "Big Two Hearted River." After returning from the war nothing seemed to be bad to him. He learned to enjoy the simple things in life. He had to create a brand new beginning with his life. Maybe the war and the burnt down city was symbolism for his life and getting over his past. He's now moving on and forgetting those things. Nothing really happens in the story though to make it interesting so I did not really like it. All he did was fish and make a camp but there was not really a main point to it.
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