The themes of alienation and isolation complement and essentially go hand-in-hand with the role nature serves in Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time, and more specifically in the realm of the short story “Big Two-Hearted River.” In several of the short stories concerning him, Nick Adams constantly retreats to nature to find a quiet place of reflection and self-examination, most commonly expressed in the act of fishing; these moments of isolation are those in which Hemingway pays great attention in describing every action of Nick’s in full detail, through which the reader understands his reconnection with nature through isolation.
At the start of the short story, Nick Adams is content as he sets out for the river, feeling relieved to finally be away from society and war and conflict, and beginning his journey to regain the sense of connection he once had with …show more content…
From here, as he makes his way to the spot where he will camp with an obvious previously-acquired knowledge of the landscape. He takes pleasure in enjoying the rewards of his efforts, setting up his camp and then eating the food that he carried himself. With the tent set up, he feels a different kind of happiness, a complete sense of satisfaction and safety As an individual in nature, Nick was able to establish his living quarters with little impact on the natural order of things around him; in a society with numerous individuals, the impact they have on nature is devastatingly severe, as exhibited by the burning of what was once a town Nick traipsed through. By supplying his own food source, Nick takes pride in his self-reliance, proving once more that he is capable of sustaining himself without the aid of influence of a large community of people. He is in charge in this new natural world; he is free of the rules and confinements and expectations of
At the start of the short story, Nick Adams is content as he sets out for the river, feeling relieved to finally be away from society and war and conflict, and beginning his journey to regain the sense of connection he once had with …show more content…
From here, as he makes his way to the spot where he will camp with an obvious previously-acquired knowledge of the landscape. He takes pleasure in enjoying the rewards of his efforts, setting up his camp and then eating the food that he carried himself. With the tent set up, he feels a different kind of happiness, a complete sense of satisfaction and safety As an individual in nature, Nick was able to establish his living quarters with little impact on the natural order of things around him; in a society with numerous individuals, the impact they have on nature is devastatingly severe, as exhibited by the burning of what was once a town Nick traipsed through. By supplying his own food source, Nick takes pride in his self-reliance, proving once more that he is capable of sustaining himself without the aid of influence of a large community of people. He is in charge in this new natural world; he is free of the rules and confinements and expectations of