Nobody knows the troubles Nick’s seen. No, really. We never get to hear about it. We just know that they’re there because Nick seems to be going through a rough period. It’s the little things that make Nick tick in a big way, and we’re left to put together the pieces of why the movement of fish or the darkness of a swamp set him off. But how are we supposed to get into Nick’s head, short of laying him on a couch and asking him about his mother?
Questions About Suffering
- How would you characterize Nick’s suffering? Is it internal, external, mental, emotional, etc.?
- How does Nick’s suffering manifest itself?
- How do we link Nick’s suffering to experiences from his past?
- Do the details of why Nick is the way he is matter to the story?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
“Big Two-Hearted River” is more a story about interiority (that’s fancy for inner-world) than it is about physical actions.
Nick’s suffering threatens to boil over at any given moment in the story.