The End of Something- An Analysis
“We Need More Lumber: A Literary Analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘The End of Something’”
PROMPT: Explain how the different aspects of the setting symbolize and reflect Nick and Marjorie’s relationship and how they felt towards each other in the story.
Being in a relationship involves something much more than merely being bound together by the same interests or doing activities together. Each person should have mutual respect, trust, and have direction in order to maintain a strong, lasting, loving relationship. In spite of this, Nick and Marjorie’s relationship doesn’t prove as sturdy as it should in the short story, “The End of Something” by Ernest Hemmingway. The setting the story takes place in and their interactions with the place mirrors and shows how the couple’s relationship falls apart.
The story begins with Nick and Marjorie, a couple on a fishing escapade, rowing nearby the lumber mill of Hortons Bay, a deserted lumber town. After fishing, the couple disembarked on a bank near the shoreline. As they are pulling the boat to higher ground, Marjorie asks Nick if there is something wrong. Nick responds by saying, “I don’t know”. After making a fire, they sat down beside each other, while their fishing rods are stationed at over the water. During their supper, Nick remains silent, as if having something in mind, and refuses to eat. Marjorie insists that he eats; and they ate in silence. Nick breaks the silence, saying “There’s going to be a moon tonight”; where Marjorie responds happily with “I know it.” Nick then responds sarcastically by saying how she “knows everything”, escalating the conversation. Marjorie, remaining silent, abruptly ends their exchange by saying, “Oh, shut up; there comes the moon.” They watch the moon rise in silence, sensing the tension forming between them. Marjorie then talks once again, asking Nick what the problem is. After being insisted upon what’s wrong repeatedly, Nick responds, saying that “It isn’t fun any more.” Nick
PROMPT: Explain how the different aspects of the setting symbolize and reflect Nick and Marjorie’s relationship and how they felt towards each other in the story.
Being in a relationship involves something much more than merely being bound together by the same interests or doing activities together. Each person should have mutual respect, trust, and have direction in order to maintain a strong, lasting, loving relationship. In spite of this, Nick and Marjorie’s relationship doesn’t prove as sturdy as it should in the short story, “The End of Something” by Ernest Hemmingway. The setting the story takes place in and their interactions with the place mirrors and shows how the couple’s relationship falls apart.
The story begins with Nick and Marjorie, a couple on a fishing escapade, rowing nearby the lumber mill of Hortons Bay, a deserted lumber town. After fishing, the couple disembarked on a bank near the shoreline. As they are pulling the boat to higher ground, Marjorie asks Nick if there is something wrong. Nick responds by saying, “I don’t know”. After making a fire, they sat down beside each other, while their fishing rods are stationed at over the water. During their supper, Nick remains silent, as if having something in mind, and refuses to eat. Marjorie insists that he eats; and they ate in silence. Nick breaks the silence, saying “There’s going to be a moon tonight”; where Marjorie responds happily with “I know it.” Nick then responds sarcastically by saying how she “knows everything”, escalating the conversation. Marjorie, remaining silent, abruptly ends their exchange by saying, “Oh, shut up; there comes the moon.” They watch the moon rise in silence, sensing the tension forming between them. Marjorie then talks once again, asking Nick what the problem is. After being insisted upon what’s wrong repeatedly, Nick responds, saying that “It isn’t fun any more.” Nick