Ernest Hemmingway’s Style of Writing in Big Two-Hearted River
Ernest Hemmingway is famous for his utilization of the iceberg theory in his writing of stories and newspaper reports that he wrote covering events that occurred immediately. According to the author, a writer should conceal what they know in writing to encourage analysis of the actual themes, which should only be apparent but not explained. He contrasted the style with writers failing to write what they do not know, as the approach denies readers information, as opposed to letting them dig the read to find it. The iceberg theory of writing is utilized extensively in the short story Big Two-Hearted River, where it has a lot of significance in carrying the meaning and themes of the story effectively.
One of the primary representations of the iceberg theory in the short story is the river from which Nick fishes. He begins fishing upstream and moves down the river to where it ends in a dark swamp. Nick’s adventure in the river is a representation of his life and subconscious self, which starts with confidence and hope, but is faced by many challenges as it continues. As life progresses, Nick discovers more about his life with time, which is characterized by discovering the fortunes he could attract, which is represented by catching fish of various sizes. Notably, the catches give him fulfillment, the same way successes in his life do. Unfortunately, his biggest catch disappeared into the water and broke his fishing rod. The occurrence represents how low Nick felt when he was frustrated at the moment he thought was the best for him, which must have been when he went to participate in World War I.
The way Nick’s journey of fishing along the river is explained in detail in each of the two days mirrors the significance of his life, as the two-day adventure is an understatement of his experiences. The river’s ending is in a swamp, which means that his life would once come to a rest. The presence of large fish in the marsh at the end of the river meant that there were still good things to come his way as his life progressed. From his subconscious point of view, the river shows that he would get at peace with himself with time, as the turbulence he had experienced for seeing the scary incidences during the war would ultimately stop disturbing him.
Another way the iceberg theory is used to communicate in the short story is the description of the town of Seney, Michigan. The town is described as having no signs of life, and its buildings and landscape destroyed. The town is used to let the readers understand the aftermath of World War I and know why Nick was tormented. The state mirrors the kind of environment Nick had left, and spares the readers the mess of dead humans after the war. In addition, the devastating condition of Seney shows the confusion and broken state of Nick’s heart, as he felt weak and needed rebuilding to overcome the trauma resulting from the war experiences.
The utilization of the iceberg theory in telling the Big Two-Hearted River story makes the narration very interesting. The reason is that a reader keeps interested in flowing in the hidden meaning of the text. Fortunately, the introduction enables the readers to understand Nick’s background and his feelings, making it easy to comprehend the concealed meaning of the entire text. The captivation also arises in the way the story relates with nature which readers can connect with even after many years. Clearly, identifying the specific activities and items of post-World War I would cause Hemmingway’s story to be deemed too old as years as many people would no longer relate with the experiences of the time. However, representing natural things that remain the same over time like a river, fishing, a swamp makes the story relevant for many years.
When used in writing, the iceberg theory encourages the readers to think and be convinced that they understand the hidden meaning of the concerned text. The activity of the brain when reading ensures that they remember the events explained in a story with ease, and they are able to remember for a long time. The activeness also ensures that readers sustain their concentration as they must remain keen to synthesize the surface narration provided to obtain the deep meaning. Consequently, a reader hardly misses significant occurrences mentioned in a reading. Importantly, the style saves authors legal consequences should they write a story whose hidden meaning provokes a political reaction, like when it attacks the sovereignty of a regime. As a result, the public can be offered surface information to drive a message they all understand.
The iceberg theory has been effectively utilized by Hemmingway to tell his story. The reason is that not only are they able to understand it in the setting of Nick’s time but they can relate the events to their lives as well. The readers understand the significance of giving trauma time to heal, and the need to engage in activities that distract one from normal life when seeking healing. The readers are also able to understand that unfavorable experiences are part of every person’s life and must be embraced, lie was the case with Nick’s life, and his fishing experience along the river.
One of the interesting ways of using the iceberg theory is creating suspense by leaving out parts of a story. Hemmingways utilizes the style by failing to explain the experiences of Nick to the end, and ends the story with him planning to come and fish in the dark swamp at a later date when he likes. The darkness of the wetland also leaves readers wondering about the unrevealed future of Nick. However, the story ends at a point where Nick was satisfied and is no longer in distress, which is satisfying for readers. The suspense created by cutting out the last part of the story attaches emotions to the ending and allows a reader to reflect on the story, as well as guessing what could happen next in Nick’s life. While Nick was right to as a stylist in leaving out the part of the story, completing the story would have ended the readers’ urge to know the fate of Nick, leading to a complete feeling at the end, which would be more fulfilling.
Hemmingways utilizes the style of the iceberg theory in the short story Big Two-Hearted River to make the story exciting and elicit brain activity when reading. He uses the approach in representing Nick’s life as a river, fish as fortune, and Seney town to showcase the damage resulting from World War I to the society and people’s hearts, like Nick. The iceberg theory is very useful in delivering the story, and is strengthened by leaving out the end of the story capturing Nick’s final experiences.