The River

Both Jack and Wynn have a penchant for literature. Early in the novel, as the narrative introduces Jack and Wynn, it conveys that they “had that in common, a literary way of looking at the world. Or at least a love of books, poetry or fiction or expedition accounts” (46). The craft of writing is a focal point of some of the conversations between the two. They discuss a particular professor who claimed that “there was a principle in aesthetics: the more you prettify something, the more you risk undermining its value. Its essential value” (54). This leads to a debate that questions to what degree writing can represent reality. Jack takes the position that embellishment doesn’t diminish the essential value of what’s being described, while Wynn tends to agree with the professor. In addition, the narrative mentions Jack’s uncle Lloyd, who once claimed that “a great storyteller had to know when never to lie” (44). In other words, some things that happen need no exaggeration and don’t need to be prettified. The narrative suggests that good writers know how to use their own instinct to identify when ornamentation is needed and when it’s not. This style reflects the author’s approach and that of the author he cites as a major influence, Ernest Hemingway.

Additionally, the novel examines the transcendent nature of artistic expression. Often, Wynn spends his idle time creating whatever his mind fancies at the moment just for the sake of creating something, without any other purpose. The narrative notes that he “was in awe of the ethic of ephemeral art,” which is described as “[t]he untethering of ego: the purity of creating something that wouldn’t even be around to sign in a matter of hours or days” and “[w]hat that said about ownership and the impermanence of all things” (22). Wynn’s preoccupation with creating art purely for its expressive properties exemplifies art for art’s sake. However, at the end of the story, when Jack tries to release the canoe figurine that Wynn carved, the waves keep returning it. Eventually, he picks it up and keeps it. The figurine therefore becomes a memento that transcends its creator.