The End of Something by Ernest Hemingway.

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The End of Something by Ernest Hemingway

In The End of Something by Ernest Hemingway, a long lasting relation between the two main characters Nick and Marjorie ends, hence the name: The End of Something.

The story takes place in what was a thriving lumber set on a river for the easy transportation of the wood.  However, the industry dried out, it used to be a bustling town now it is dead.  This is a metaphor of the relationship between Nick and Marjorie as their relationship used to be thriving and passionate now it is old and dead.  The phrase ‘no more lumber’ is used in the story, indicative of the fact that there used to be lumber, now it has all gone.

In the third paragraph, Hemingway states that ‘there was nothing of the mill left except the broken white limestone of its foundations’ which is a metaphor of their relationship, showing that it is held together by memories from the past rather than a substance from the present, also the phrase ‘twelve feet of dark water’ is used which may be representing the areas unknown and unvisited in effect, within their relationship.  Marjorie states ‘There’s our old ruin, Nick’ which represents the ruin of the relationship, how it was once a glorified, standing wonder now reduced only to shambles.

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Throughout their day out fishing, Marjorie is constantly the one trying to make the moves, the one trying to reminisce and revive their once wonderful bond, however Nick rejects all offers.  For example, when they sit to eat their picnic at line 73, they ate without talking and ‘watched the two rods and the firelight in the water’.  At first, Nick was reluctant to begin eating; Marjorie had to ask twice before he sat down by the side of her.  They eventually have to focus on something else to avoid focusing on each other, whilst loving couples would engage ...

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