“They were all black. They were not the big grasshoppers with yellow and black or red and black wings whirring out from their black wing sheathing as they fly up. They were just ordinary hoppers, but all a sooty black in color. Nick had wondered about them as he walked, without really thinking about them. Now, as he watched the black hopper that was nibbling at the wool of his sock with its fourway lip, he realized that they had all turned black from living in the burned-over land. He realized that the fire must have come the year before, but the grasshoppers were all black now. He wondered how long they would stay that way. … “Go on hopper,” Nick said, speaking out loud for the first time. “Fly away somewhere.””
Hemingway includes this description of the grasshopper because it is a metaphor suggesting that the grasshopper and Nick are similar. The hoppers are not the same as they were before the land was burned over, as Nick is not the same as he was before the war. However, the effects on the grasshopper of the land being burnt are physical, while the effects of the war on Nick are psychological/ emotional. His wondering how long the grasshoppers will remain that way is reflective of his frustration of dealing with the effects of the war.
Both Nick and The Narrator in Surfacing struggle because of events from their past. How is it that their situations differ?
How does the last sentence ““Go on hopper,” Nick said, speaking out loud for the first time. “Fly away somewhere,”” relate to Nick?
The last sentence is a clear attempt by Nick to achieve a sense of closure or reconciliation with his past. The charred "hopper" nibbling at his sock represents the constant nagging that of Nick's past trauma, and with the use of his words he is able to confront his emotional strain and consequently overcome his mental plague.
ReplyDeleteNick and the grasshopper indeed share characteristics about how they "aren't the same" as before. When Nick says, "Go on hopper", "Fly away somewhere", he is telling the hopper that it should leave this land, and start a new fresh life somewhere else. Living in the same place and lifestyle, isn't doing any good for the hopper's health, so by "flying away" the grasshopper can break free from this unhappy unhealthy place, and start a new fresh life somewhere. I think Nick would like to do the same, but isn't ready at the moment..
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence seems to be what Nick ultimately wants to do himself. Like Kayla said, he isn't ready at the moment yet, but it seems like it could be a goal of his.
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ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Kayla and Roberto as well, as Nick knows that he has to break away, but sometimes you just maybe need someone to reinforce it for you, or push you on your way. This is what I think is meant by what Nick says to the hopper, as he is pushing him on his way to a new place.
ReplyDeleteThe grasshopper, often which are used for fishing bait, has escaped a treacherous position when Nick allows him to flee. Likewise, Nick managed to survive war, and it is his escape from the trauma which this part embodies.
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