How Hurston's View Of How Childhood Affects Adulthood
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Hurston’s view of how childhood affects adulthood differs from Ernest Hemingway’s The Nick Adams Stories. Nick Adams was only innocent for so long before he had to grow up. He proves how much of an adult he can be by the time “The Last Good Country” comes around. Nick’s innocence is taken away from him rather young when he accompanies his father to an Indian camp where a woman has had trouble delivering her baby for two days. He witnesses not only the start of life but the end when the woman’s husband ends up committing suicide. He starts to grasp the concept of life and death, questioning his father if dying is hard. (Hemingway 20-21) Instead of seemingly being scarred by the experience, it seems as if little Nick would much rather ask his father what happened and why.…show more content… Hemingway’s view of how childhood affects adulthood definitely stems from this story. Nick and his younger sister Littless are on the run and traveling through this forest as if they’re on some sort of pseudo-honeymoon, where the forest represents some sort of paradise. The fact that Nick is able to easily take care of himself and his sister comes into play later on in his life. It’s as if he’s taken on the role of an adult despite being a child. He easily impresses his sister with the way he builds up their camp, making it “feel lovely” (Hemingway 108). Littless even states that she feels that people would jealous of them, except their mother who “will think were fugitives from justice steeped in sin and iniquity” (Hemingway 123). Nick is easily able to build up a camp, catch food for dinner, and make it. His will to live and take care of himself is a lot more mature compared to a regular young