In Our Time
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"Big Two-Hearted River: Part II" by Ernest Hemingway (excerpt from In Our Time)
The very biggest ones would lie up close to the bank. You could always pick them up there on the Black. When the sun was down they all moved out into the current. Just when the sun made the water blinding in the glare before it went down, you were liable to strike a big trout anywhere in the current. It was almost impossible to fish then, the surface of the water was blinding as a mirror in the sun. Of course, you could fish upstream, but in a stream like the Black, or this, you had to wallow against the current and in a deep place, the water piled up on you. It was no fun to fish upstream with this much current. (153)
Context
Nick Adams, the character that occurs throughout In Our Time, has returned from fighting in WWI. It is evident in Part I that Nick has traumatic experiences from the war. In Part I, Nick arrives at the Big Two-Hearted river and sets up camp. In Part II, before this passage, Nick was collecting grasshoppers for fishing. He is about to fly fish but decides to move to a different location.
Form
(Andrew G): The excerpt is written in classic Hemingway style. It is somehow both sparing in details yet able to conjure a vivid mental picture. Perhaps this relates back to his iceberg theory; tell the reader only what they don't already know. It also pertains to a very natural subject, a virgin stream and the great fish that reside therein.
(Sammy R): Here Hemingway is using third person narration, telling us what Nick Adam's is doing.
(Jacob S) The actions of Nick Adams are described by Hemingway using third person narration. I agree that it is written in Hemingway's classic style. He does not tell the reader directly what to think, but instead guides them in the right direction.
(Lindsey B): It is also apparent that it is the classic Hemingway style because of the repetition of several words throughout the passage.
(Sona S): This is third person limited narration which tells us what Nick is doing in the river. I agree with others that this is Hemingway classic style which does not tells readers directly about what the character is up to.
(Meghan G.): Hemingway is using third person to tell the reader what is happening. He uses classic Hemingway style, just saying what is needed and not showing too much emotion.
(Cathy T.): Hemingway is using the third person narration by explaining what is happening around the river and what Nick is doing. Hemingway doesn't give a lot of details about what is occurring because he wants the reader(s) to try to understand and visualize what is happening.
(Nicole T.) : This is classic Hemingway. The text sets up the image of Nick fishing in the readers minds, but at the same time, the text is vague and not detailed. Hemingway's style gives readers a contradicting feelings. Yes, I have an image of what is going on, but yet, at the same time, the context doesn't really give specific details.
Words and Phrases
(Andrew G): It appears Nick is fishing on a stream called the Black. The words blinding, glare, and mirror all describe the difficulty the sun provides for fishermen.
(Sammy R): The fish and the sun are continuously related throughout this passage. Depending where the sun is equals where the fish will be.
(Jacob S) Discussion of fish and the word blinding occur several times in the passage. The concept of the water being like a mirror is also introduced.
(Lindsey B): Both parts of Big Black River can be interpreted as a journey of self discovery. Hemingway uses the phrase "blinding as a mirror", because of the use of these words it sounds as though the river is like Nick or is a reflection of him. How it acts is how he, too, acts. Also it talks about how hard it would be to walk upstream. Maybe Hemingway is signifying how hard it is for Nick to move against his emotions. Hemingway then says how it the river would pile up on someone walking against the current, just as Nick's emotions piled up on him.
(Seija R): Something that stood out to me was use of the word wallow to describe the action done in the water, because wallow is typically used to describe emotionally focusing on pain. It is interesting to compare that to what is being done during the fishing.
(Sona S): Fish, sun, and blinding kept appear in the passage. This reflects correlation among those words. Fish and blinding can be Nick himself, and sun can be took part as a reflectors which reflect Nick's life.
(Meghan G.) The water, mirror and blinding all have major significance in this passage. He looks down at the water as if it is looking back at him. He also discussing fishing upstream, and fishing in general
(Cathy T.): The sun, fish, and the water are repeated together in the passage. The mirror also plays a role with fishing and the water because Nick sees himself wallowed in the river as trout, which is symbolic of his life.\
(Nicole T.): Nick is fishing in a stream using grasshoppers. The sun represents his difficulty with fishing along with the phrase "blinding as a mirror".
Themes and Conclusions
(Andrew G): To me the passage is talking about life. Nick is most liable to catch a fish (his goal) when it is the most difficult (the stream being turned into a blinding reflection). He notes that by the time the sun goes down all the trout will have moved out where the current is too tough to fight. Nick could move, but in the place he's at it's too much of a struggle and so he just grits and bears it, doing what he can where he is.
(Sammy R): In this passage, Hemingway discusses Nick's passion and the calmness he gets from fishing. However, Nick's not yet ready to face the current just like he's not ready to face other things since being back from the war.
(Jacob S) I agree that the river is symbolic of Nick's life. Still recovering from the war, Nick is not ready to face the challenges that the current of the river might provide.
(Lindsey B): I would also agree that the river is symbolic of life, more specifically of Nick's life. The wording that Hemingway uses throughout the passage is symbolic of Nick in many ways. Too much similarity to be coincidence.
(Seija R): I think the passage is reflecting on Nick's life, most specifically what he is experience post-war, and the emotional difficulties he is facing.
(Sona s): I also agree with river is symbolic of Nick's life. It kept reflect Nick's hardship and emotional difficulties.
(Casey H) I feel that Nick is now at peace with himself, no one to tell him what to do he is his own boss.
(Meghan G.) This is a antural depiction of how Nick feels at that point in time. He feels a sense of peace and serenity. He discusses how he would rather not fish upstream, meaning he would rather not go against the current and does not want to have to push against the world.
(Cathy T.): The river shows Nick's life with hardships of the family and war. While he is at the river, he feels peace and calmness. Nick is able to express happiness through the smallest things, but he knows he will face deep emotions and memories from the war.
(Nicole T.): The river is flowing just like Nick's life. His difficulties with fishing show his difficulties and setbacks in life (such as his family and the war).
Anything else?
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