Hemingway's Big Two-Hearted River concentrates the natural essence of two worlds. Nick, the protagonist, copes with the reality transition from war to an excursion in the woods. Interlacing factors of ideal detail draw the reader into the limited third person perception and unravel the survival skills of both realities.

From the smoldering battlefield of burning swamp, to the foot solider grasshoppers, and onward past the flooded trench rivers, Nick 's operating as if he were still in a war. His back aching under the immense weight of previsions, yet still starving at points and hunting food. Creating shelter amongst the trees and dirt, has Nick's mind accepted reality?

There is no motive for leaving on this adventure, and no real destination aside from the camp, which also seems to be a war scenario. Cut off and separated from his team, catching fish to survive the long journey, and completely prepared to face all the obstacles. With a silent strength he forces through the high hills and low trenches, taking notice of each and every detail as he passes, highly aware of the surrounding. "The trees of the left bank made short shadows on the current in the forenoon sun. Nick knew there were trout in each shadow." (pg. 228) Further proving his survival skills as he wrestles many of the salmon from their murky home, Nick is fully aware, for he's been trained to survive under any circumstances.

Individuality is all in perception, as is professionalism and skill. Nick perceives small grasshoppers as dirty soldiers covered in soot as he was in the war. So Nick releases it and says "fly away somewhere" as if to say be free, free from this soot and filth of the war. Just as Nick had been set free, however, mentally trapped in a constant battle, he notices himself in creatures. Such as the salmon, the big salmon leading the musty foundation while the smaller ones swim at the top of the water. A nautical society, the leaders provoke the meager to cover them and do all the running, allowing them to feast, only so the larger can then feast upon them. Sick as it may be this is the cycle of life.

Adversity torments the mind in a time of war. Many people can't manage the crossing over from war into real life. How orders and survival can mesh into actuality and irrationally cause people to enact military tactics. Nick sets a fine example of a hulled solider, with nowhere to go, possibly no home as many are left to vagrancy. For his thoughts are unheard of throughout the passage, possibly because of unfathomable lunacy. After all the death and chaos his eyes surly witness all that remains is a hollow man performing orders, hardly even human, and this is our means of protection.