logo

30 pages 1 hour read

Ernest Hemingway

Big Two-Hearted River

Ernest HemingwayFiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1925

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Essay Topics

1.

How does “Big Two-Hearted River” create a juxtaposition between the destructive qualities of war and the healing powers of nature.

2.

Examine the symbols in “Big Two-Hearted River” (e.g., the burned town of Seney, the grasshoppers, the river, etc.). How do they contribute to the story’s meaning?

3.

Why do you think the narrative recounts all the minute details of Nick setting up camp? Consider the words of the narration when he is finished, “He had made his camp. He was settled. Nothing could touch him. It was a good place to camp. He was there, in the good place. He was in his home where he had made it” (Paragraph 26). What might he fear that could touch him and why can’t it now? Why is this a “good place”? Why is it “home”?

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 30 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,400+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools