Big Two-Hearted River

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Big Two-Hearted River: Part I and II (Analysis) This story is about a soldier's return to nature. The soldiers name is Nick, he has returned to his hometown as a means of recovering from trauma of a war. It appears nature has a healing effect for Nick, whose experiences while camping and fishing serve as a means for his healing. The effect of the war is reflected in his indifferent, detached, catatonic state. When he finds that his hometown has been completely destroyed by fire, he takes a walk through the woods, takes on meticulous fishing rituals, and has a fascination with the fish. I have identified various examples of symbolism throughout this story that relate to the comfort and secure feelings he gained from being surrounded by nature. The first symbol is the Mansion House hotel. The hotel represented all that was left of a once productive town. This made Nick realize, just as the town needed to be rebuilt, he needed to rebuild himself from the war and his personal crisis. The river in the beginning of the story is representative of life in the middle of the destruction and also of his home, safety and security (Hemingway, 253). The land that he originally comes to and the town he knew have been completely destroyed by the fire. The fire relates to the change which is clear when he picks up a grasshopper and realized that they are all now black. They have adapted their appearance to their surroundings and now blend in with the burned Shahin 2 environment (Hemingway, 254). When he releases a grasshopper from his grasp, he speaks for the first time, almost as if this experience marks a new beginning for him. Wounded and haunted by his experiences, and struggling to hold himself together, Nick's efforts to deal with his psychological pain are developed through several symbols in the story. He hikes deeper into the forest, makes camp, and

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