XII- Local Color

I don't know if Hemingway has ever been to Burguete, but he seems to have a special place in his heart for it. He vividly describes the Basque people they met on the way, the beautiful landscape, and the tranquility of fishing. I think the emphasis on this place is the calmness of it and the refreshing nature. Jake and his friends had been having a difficult time before, drinking and having a hard time getting through the day. The trip to the mountains helped and I think the pace of the book changed for a little while. I did not have to read and think so hard during this chapter and I think that reflected what the characters were feeling. So far, I have not seen such detail in Hemingway's settings. Paris was described, but it was mostly the people doing the describing, not the author, so I had to look for hidden meanings and think about the characters. When describing Burguete, Hemingway painted a picture by telling us himself, not the characters telling the reader. By him telling his audience, I think it showed his feelings for the place and his need to not complicate it with the problems of the characters.