Hemingway as Craftsman: Revising “Big Two-Hearted River”.

In this essay, I argue that Hemingway’s revisions of “Big Two-Hearted River” show a relatively young writer rising to the height of his artistry—beginning a beautiful tale, becoming derailed, sticking at first to his original ending, and then letting go and rewriting the fishing story as a narrative of accommodation, persistence, laughter, and renewal. This essay extends beyond earlier scholarly essays to show that Hemingway revised the drafts extensively throughout the story—not just in the more often discussed beginning and end. Hemingway’s substantial revisions show his craftsmanship as he works to convey Nick Adams’s voice, vision, and touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]