A River Runs Through It Sparknotes

In Norman Maclean’s novella A River Runs Through It, the river flows throughout the story and weaves its way into many different themes and lessons that the characters learn. A river also runs through our lives, and I see it as the path that we decide to follow. Sometimes we face obstacles, and we have to choose if we want to push through them and keep going or let them stop us from moving forward. Rivers often branch off into different paths, and it’s up to us to pick which branch we want our lives to flow into. This novella follows Norman as he discovers his path and faces difficulties.

The river runs through the Maclean family and forms a connection between some of the family members. Their family believed that there was "no clear line between religion and fly fishing" (1). Norman’s father is a minister, and he found ways to intertwine faith with teaching his sons how to fish. Norman’s father believes that "all good things—trout as well as eternal salvation—come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come

Rivers and fly fishing have remained constant throughout Paul and Norman’s lives. They can always rely on it to provide comfort and a sense of home. The rushing waters of a river never let up, similar to how the Maclean family’s love for each other never wavers. Even when Paul gets into trouble, the family cares deeply for him. Norman shows his love for his brother by picking him up from jail and bringing him back to his apartment (32). He reflects on the idea of being "our brothers’ keepers" and realizes it is true for him (34). I found myself relating to this title because I feel as if I am responsible for taking care of my brothers and making sure they succeed. I want to stay a consistent source of support, just like the river was a consistent source of comfort for Paul, Norman, and even their dad. No matter what happened, the river was always there for these characters to return