Three symbols from Hemingway's "The Big Two-Hearted River" (Book Review Sample)

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Three symbols from Hemingway's "The Big Two-Hearted River"
Nick Adams is back from the First World War in a wounded and pathetic state emotionally. He is in a process of healing and soul- searching into being the person that he used to be before the entire unfortunate encounter. This analysis looks into three symbols that Nick uses in the process of healing his destitute soul; trout fishing, river and grasshoppers CITATION Ern00 \p 5 \l 1033 (Hemingway 5).
A river is known for its cool breeze and peaceful nature that gives comfort whenever anyone is stressed. A river’s course will never change as it will always flow from the same source down to whichever place that it pours into a lake or ocean CITATION Ern00 \p 23 \l 1033 (Hemingway 23). Nick really hates changes that come in life simply because it is unpredictable and someone doesn’t know if a certain change is positive or negative. Therefore, the fact that a river is constant and never changes its course gives him comfort. This calming nature of a river makes Nick to entrust his feelings with it to guide him through his healing process.
The black grasshoppers that Nick sees in his endeavors are symbolic in his healing process too. The grasshoppers, which represent people, are covered with soot from the just ended war. This shows how the war has affected people so much in a similar way to how soot covered the grasshoppers. Nick is traumatized because of the world war that had ended. He tells the bugs to fly away because they will be free in a matter of time; this is symbolic to his life which needs to move on and heal regardless of the effects from the war CITATION Ern00 \p 45 \l 1033 (Hemingway 45).
Trouts in the river are also symbolic to this healing process that Nick is going through. Movement of trouts in the river is not steady because of the water waves, but after some time it becomes steady. This can be compar...