Big Two-Hearted River

How does “Big Two-Hearted River” create a juxtaposition between the destructive qualities of war and the healing powers of nature.

Examine the symbols in “Big Two-Hearted River” (e.g., the burned town of Seney, the grasshoppers, the river, etc.). How do they contribute to the story’s meaning?

Why do you think the narrative recounts all the minute details of Nick setting up camp? Consider the words of the narration when he is finished, “He had made his camp. He was settled. Nothing could touch him. It was a good place to camp. He was there, in the good place. He was in his home where he had made it” (Paragraph 26). What might he fear that could touch him and why can’t it now? Why is this a “good place”? Why is it “home”?