Big Two-Hearted River (Parts I and II) Rules and Order Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)

Quote #7

Nick did not want to go in there now. He felt a reaction against deep wading with the water deepening up under his armpits, to hook big trout in places impossible to land them. In the swamp the banks were bare, the big cedars came together overhead, the sun did not come through, except in patches; in the fast deep water, in the half light, the fishing would be tragic. In the swamp fishing was a tragic adventure. Nick did not want it. He did not want to go down stream any further today. (II.60)

This passage begins and ends with “Nick did not want [it].” That’s quite a bit of emphasis if this is just any old swamp that’s bad for fishing. Also, the fact that Nick calls the place “tragic” is a pretty strong word to describe a swamp. There is something serious about this swamp for Nick, something that worries him. It’s like a magnified version of the fishing hole from the previous passage, but Nick also has a harder time trying to ignore its existence.