Ernest Hemingway Rite Of Passage

A rite of passage is a ceremony which signifies the transition from life stage to another, such as adolescence to manhood. The jump from adolescence to manhood can be considered one of the most important changes in life. A person is changing from a young and foolish teenager into a mature and responsible adult. In short stories, such as “Indian Camp” and “Fathers and Sons”, Hemingway portrays Nick’s rite passage as he transitions from childhood to adolescence to manhood. In “Indian Camp”, Nick’s rite of passage comes from experiencing an event that he didn’t know before. Nick’s father takes Nick and his uncle George to a Native American camp, where Dr. Adams is called over to help a Native American woman deliver a baby. The woman was having trouble delivering her baby and has been in labor for two days. Although giving birth is a miracle of life and can be seen as something beautiful, it can also be a gruesome occurrence. In this situation, Dr. Adams must deliver the baby through a Cesarean section, where the baby is cut out from its mother. He had no anesthetic and did the procedure with a jack knife and gut leaders as opposed to medical tools. The woman had to be held down by four men and had been

He writes Nick to experience life in the same way that he did. In the Nick Adams stories, the theme of rite of passage is frequently alluded to. In stories, such as “Indian Camp” and “Fathers and Sons”, Nick’s rite of passage is highlighted through his experiences throughout these stories. In “Indian Camp”, Nick is exposed to concepts that were once foreign to him, such as pain and death. This marks his rite of passage from childhood into adulthood. In “Fathers and Sons”, Nick recounts his first sexual encounters as well as hunting. These two activities mark his rite of passage from adolescence into manhood. The Nick Adams stories demonstrates the importance of the transition into adulthood as well as the rite of