Returning to Nature: An Eco-critical Study of “Big Two-Hearted River”

Abstract

“Big Two-Hearted River” is one of the Nick Adams Stories from Ernest Hemingway’s short story collection In Our Time. The story is told in a detailed description of Nick’s “trivial” experience in his Michigan resort after the veteran was back from the First World War. Up to now, the Nick Adams stories together with Hemingway’s other works have been interpreted by literary critics from different perspectives, among which the code hero image, death consciousness, nihilism, alienation and the artistic features are usually focused upon. This article intends to investigate “Big Two-Hearted River” from an eco-critical point of view. The study points out that Hemingway expressed his ecological consciousness in this short story about the harmonious relationship between man and nature; through the detailed narration of Nick’s simple experience of camping and fishing, “Big Two-Hearted River” vividly exposes the theme of returning to nature. The study actually reflects Hemingway’s ecological consciousness based on his yearning towards the beauty of nature.