Themes

The most important themes in “The River” by Bruce Springsteen are dissatisfaction with adult life, economic difficulties of the working class and

Economic difficulties

The beginning of the song presents the narrator as being born in “the valley” (l. 1). This place of birth lacks a specific name. This could mean that the valley is a modest place lacking a flourishing economy. The narrator might have been brought up in modest conditions, which can explain why he is encouraged to follow the steps of his father and give up any dreams of his own.

Then, after getting married, the narrator is forced to take a job in construction. As the song says, “there ain't been much work on account of the economy” (l. 21). It becomes quite obvious that the narrator does not earn much. This affects not only him, but also his wife, who “acts like she don’t care” (l. 25). Even though we do not know Mary’s point of view, we can assume that she hides her disappointment behind a cold attitude.

Bruce Springsteen’s song shows how the American working class is bound to encounter difficulties at one point or another. The couple in the song is just one example. Economi...

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