Perspectives

Literary period

The short story “The End of Something” by Ernest Hemingway is a modernist work. Modernism usually explores realistic and common events and experiences, just like the ones presented in “The End of Something”, which deals with the breakup between Nick and Marjorie. 

Modernist fiction also relies on simplistic language, which allows readers to think about the interpretation of the text. Then, modernist stories tend to rely on symbols, which is also the case of “The End of Something”. Here, the deserted town and the mill symbolize the end of Nick and Marjorie’s relationship. Finally, modernist stories focus on the inner struggles of the characters. In his story, Hemingway presents Nick’s struggle to find his identity and how this affects b...