The End of Something is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway. This story is one of Hemingway’s earlier works, and I wasn’t aware of these short stories. I found them on a podcast on Spotify called LitReading – Classic Short Stories. These couple of stories center around the same semi-autobiographical character of Nick Adams.
The story is set in a mill town in Michigan, Hortons Bay. It centers around a young couple, Nick Adams and his girlfriend Majorie. The story begins with the shutdown of the mill in Hortons Bay and the town losing its liveliness of being a mill town. Nick and Majorie are spending time together by fishing and having a small picnic. The story is about the end of the relationship between these two characters.
The town is compared to Nick and Majorie’s relationships. Once, the town was full of life and bustling, but now it is no longer lively. All the equipment used for logging has been dissembled and removed while the building is abandoned. For Nick, because we only see his perspective; their romance has lost the fun. He doesn’t know what’s exactly wrong, but he does not feel like being with Majorie anymore. The narration does give us hints that things are not going well between them. They barely talk to each other when they are together, and Nick gives one-word answers when asked something. It creates an atmosphere for the relationship, I mean one can tell something is wrong.
The End of Something is the end of the relationship between these two characters and the end of the town as it was before. By the end, Nick talks about moving on. He means that the town needs to move on from what it used to be, and the same goes for him. Although Nick is dating Majorie seriously, or so it seems, the way he breaks up is a little vague. There is no proper explanation. Majorie reacts stoically, and she refuses Nick’s help to push the boat for her to leave.
I enjoy the way Ernest Hemingway writes. This story is no different. There is an indirect comparison between the social situation of a town and the ending of a relationship. The character of Nick Adams stars in multiple short stories, which I’ll find out now. The story is fast-paced, short and sweet. It deals with emotions in a realistic way, including Nick’s vague reasons for breaking up. It is an interesting short for sure.
*Click on the book cover above to get a copy.
Books and blues 
One thought