Hemingway consistently writes short stories about the same character, a protagonist named Nick, who spends most of his life trying to cope with the effects of war. It is controversial whether or not Nick is the same character portrayed throughout all of Hemingway’s stories. There is evidence that could lead to both conclusions, but what Nick represents is more consistent and important. Most of Hemingway’s stories include Nick, who represents innocence through his child-like perspective as he is introduced to the harsh realities of life. Most of Hemingway’s other protagonists, such as Krebs from “Soldier’s Home”, have also been to war and embody similar characteristics to those of Nick, but their actual character is more important than that
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This shortage of any kind of a past relates to how a child has not yet experienced anything that would make them mature or shape their identity, showing a child-like innocence. Nick symbolizes innocence through his lack of identity and experiences in which he is introduced to the harsh realities of life and lack of past. Hemingway never introduces Nick in his short stories, but rather, he is just presented without any background, which is especially noticeable in “A Way You’ll Never Be” and “In Another Country”. Hemingway never specifically states that Nick is a young boy in “Indian Camp” and an adolescent in “The Killers”, but the reader can infer the Nick’s age through the dialogue. Nick uses simple language and asks straightforward, uncomplicated questions and is referred to as “ Nickie” (IC 18) and “bright boy” (TK 72), connoting that he is young and innocent. Hemingway often depicts Nick as innocence through his reaction when he faces life’s harsh realities. Nick does not play a major role in “The Killers”, but is still significant because he represents innocence through his confusion surrounding the planned killing of Ole Andreson. Nick goes to warn Ole Andreson despite everyone suggesting that he doesn’t, and asks Ole, “Couldn’t you get out of town?”, when Ole refuses to to do anything about the situation. In “A Way You’ll Never Be”, Nick …show more content…
Nick is on a fishing trip, in “a long undulating country” (ABTHR 2) and is therefore able to make his own decisions, making him feel free and content, “had not been unhappy all day” (ABTHR 3). No other Nick that Hemingway has written about is ever presented as being as positive and happy, which separates this Nick from the others. Although Nick’s personality and outlook on his situation is slightly different, he still represents innocence through his desire to leave his past behind, “there was no town, nothing but the rails and the burned-over country” (ABTHR 1), which represents Nick leaving his burned, destroyed past so that he “felt he had left everything behind” (ABTHR 1). Hemingway also never gives the reader of this story a sense of Nick’s background, so the reader can only infer that he has been to war through his discussion of Hopkins. Although Nick is emotionally different in “A Big Two-Hearted River”, he is still symbolic of innocence because he is not given any past or identity and he goes on the fishing trip in attempt to restore his innocence through leaving his past
This shortage of any kind of a past relates to how a child has not yet experienced anything that would make them mature or shape their identity, showing a child-like innocence. Nick symbolizes innocence through his lack of identity and experiences in which he is introduced to the harsh realities of life and lack of past. Hemingway never introduces Nick in his short stories, but rather, he is just presented without any background, which is especially noticeable in “A Way You’ll Never Be” and “In Another Country”. Hemingway never specifically states that Nick is a young boy in “Indian Camp” and an adolescent in “The Killers”, but the reader can infer the Nick’s age through the dialogue. Nick uses simple language and asks straightforward, uncomplicated questions and is referred to as “ Nickie” (IC 18) and “bright boy” (TK 72), connoting that he is young and innocent. Hemingway often depicts Nick as innocence through his reaction when he faces life’s harsh realities. Nick does not play a major role in “The Killers”, but is still significant because he represents innocence through his confusion surrounding the planned killing of Ole Andreson. Nick goes to warn Ole Andreson despite everyone suggesting that he doesn’t, and asks Ole, “Couldn’t you get out of town?”, when Ole refuses to to do anything about the situation. In “A Way You’ll Never Be”, Nick …show more content…
Nick is on a fishing trip, in “a long undulating country” (ABTHR 2) and is therefore able to make his own decisions, making him feel free and content, “had not been unhappy all day” (ABTHR 3). No other Nick that Hemingway has written about is ever presented as being as positive and happy, which separates this Nick from the others. Although Nick’s personality and outlook on his situation is slightly different, he still represents innocence through his desire to leave his past behind, “there was no town, nothing but the rails and the burned-over country” (ABTHR 1), which represents Nick leaving his burned, destroyed past so that he “felt he had left everything behind” (ABTHR 1). Hemingway also never gives the reader of this story a sense of Nick’s background, so the reader can only infer that he has been to war through his discussion of Hopkins. Although Nick is emotionally different in “A Big Two-Hearted River”, he is still symbolic of innocence because he is not given any past or identity and he goes on the fishing trip in attempt to restore his innocence through leaving his past