Ernest Hemingway, short story, “The End of Something”, looks into the life of two young people going through transition, as they witness how the world and people change within over a period of time. The story also explores how those who are going through change desperately stay put and decide to hang on to the present.
The “something” in Hemingway’s story takes many forms, from the broken Mill to the fish ‘failure to strike’. All these, with deeper meaning in reference to the main characters, Nick and Marjorie relationship
The story opens with “In the old days Hortons Bay was a lumbering town. No one who lived in it was out of the sound of the big saws in the mill by the lake. Then one year there were no more logs to make lumber…….” The mill was the main base for Hortons Bay; it was what kept the town alive, with shops and people engaging in all kinds of activities. In the present though, the mill is no longer working, the small town has been deserted, no activities going on, the place is quiet. In relationship to Nick and Marjorie, Hemingway depicts a relationship that once flourished between these two young people. When nothing seemed to get in their way, but in the present things have changed. Just like the broken mill, the relationship between the two is broken down into pieces.
The fishing scene is introduced by the writer to bring out a deeper meaning in relation to Nick and Marjorie. “……..from sandy shallows to twelve feet of dark water. They were trolling on their way to set night lines for rainbow trout” During the fishing, Nick notes the following about the fish “They aren’t striking”. The fish, not striking symbolizes a lack of interest in Nick’s in his relationship with Marjorie. Marjorie’s observation of the fish is that “They’re feeding”, but again Nick responds quickly by “But they won’t strike”. Here, Marjorie is of the opinion that there is still a chance of working things out to make their relationship work, but Nick has completely lost interest in Marjorie.
In the hopes that Nick might change his stand, Marjorie does not stop trying to catch the fish, “Marjorie did not reel in until the boat touched the shore” This is symbolic of Marjorie’s failure to face the reality that her relationship with Nick is no more.
In the story, Nick learns many things about growing up. He is not afraid to face reality, he knows that he can no longer cling to the past, just like the broken mill, it was no longer worth the effort to cling to his relationship with Marjorie. In reference to the love he shared with Marjorie, Nick says “It isn’t fun anymore. Not any of it.” Nick exemplifies a lot of maturities, he undergoes through transition, he realizes that the present will not be present forever and that for one to experience true happiness, one must look beyond what was in the past. To Nick, a new relationship with Bill is what will bring him happiness and satisfaction.
Reference:
Ernest Hemingway (1996) In Our Time: The End of something, Simon & Schuster Publishers, New York, United States.