Nick's Feelings Towards The River example essay topic

473 words
Nick and the River by Kirk Winter mute In Ernest Hemingway's short story "Big Two-Hearted River", there are very few obvious relationships. But the relationship that is most important to the story is that of the main character, Nick, and the river itself. Nick's feelings towards the river extend beyond the banks and the waters to its inhabitants. While Nick may not actually speak to the river during the story, he does relate to it and show definite feelings of contentment and fondness towards it throughout the story. As the story begins, Nick walks through the burned-out town of Sene y and immediately he approaches the river. As he looks down on the water, Nick shows more emotion than usual: "It was a long time since Nick had looked into a stream and seen trout.

They were very satisfactory". While Nick shows little to no emotion when he walks through an entire town burned to the ground, he is rather moved as he sees the trout in the stream: "Nick's heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling". Another instance where Nick's feelings are expressed in an uncharacteristic manner is when, after making camp on the river, Nick awakens with excitement at the thought of going fishing on his first day: "The river was clear and smoothly fast in the early morning. Nick was excited.

He was excited by the early morning and the river". This is out of character for Nick, because he does not seem like the sort of person who is easily excited at all. On the contrary, he seems to be a generally sullen and unexcited type of person. Also, fishing on the river appears to be one of the few things in Nick's life that makes him genuinely happy an content. As he t rods down to the river on his first day of fishing on his trip, weighed down by all kinds of gear, from a flour bag, to his fly rod, to a bottle of grasshoppers, Nick is cheerful: "Nick felt awkward and professionally happy with all his equipment hanging from him.

The grasshopper bottle swung against his chest. In his shirt the breast pockets bulged against him with his lunch and his fly book". Fishing appears to be one of the few things in Nick's life in which he can take joy in. In conclusion, Nick has very definite feelings of devotion for the river. Nick has a chance to actually display his emotions and perhaps to indulge in them when he is on the river where he loves to be. Nick cherishes the river as a place he can go to be isolated and be wholly content and happy.