After reading so much Ernest Hemmingway this semester, I think that the one story that best illustrates the Nick Adams stories is Fathers and Sons. This story illustrates the struggles that Nick had growing up. These struggles he had as a child did not leave him when he became an adult. They only changed. His struggles with his father were translated into the struggles that he had with his own son, trying to be a good father.
Nick does not know what to do to be a good father, but he does try to do a better job than his father. When his son is curious about his grandfather, Nick fibs about what kind of man he was. He wants his son to have a good image of his grandfather, and not the same image that Nick has.
The reminisce in the middle of the story is a very interesting change. It does not particularly make sense to the rest of the story. Nick is driving through the area where he grew up and is thinking back on it. It is interesting because most of the story is about the role of fatherhood, but the flashback does not touch much on fatherhood, but rather maturation. The flashback pairs well with the story before it however, Cross-Country Snow. The two stories deal with Nick growing up and learning about life. Perhaps Cross-Country Snow is why Hemmingway put that particular memory of Nick’s in Fathers and Sons. Since he linked two stories together often, the similar memories in each story would help to link them.
Doing what is right by our children is a big part of human nature. People are always struggling with how to raise their own children better than their parents. I think that more often that not, ones parenting skills are no better or worse than that of their own parents. They are only different methods. There is no one perfect way to raise a child, and as Nick is learning in Fathers and Sons, you can only do what you think is best for your own children.
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