Hemmingway 2

The themes of alienation and isolation go hand in hand with the role nature plays in Ernest Hemmingway’s short story “The Big Two-Hearted River.” Nick Adams, whose life and personality parallels that of Hemmingway, constantly retreats to nature to find a quiet place of reflection and self-examination. These moments of isolation are those in which Hemmingway goes into immense detail to describe every action of Nick and the rare occasion of whoever may be …showed first 75 words of 309 total…

…showed last 75 words of 309 total…out of the open car door, things had been different.” (134) Hemmingway uses the trout as symbolism for Nick, his constant struggle to make it up stream compares to Nick’s constant struggle with the strong currents of his life. Nick checks on the trout when he stops, “He’s all right Nick thought. He’s only tired. He’s just resting. This is considerably like how Nick is resting during his “vacations” by the River.