1. “Even though Paul must have had three or four fish by now, I took my time walking down the trail, trying with each step to leave the world behind. Something within fishermen tries to make fishing into a world perfect and apart. I don’t know what it is or where, because sometimes it is in my arms and sometimes in my throat and sometimes nowhere in particular except somewhere deep. Many of us would probably be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to be better.” (37)
In this quote shows that fishing can be an important place when you are trying to forget something because you make it its own would. In this case, Norman was trying to forget Neal and what his wife is going to do to him for leaving him. If he could just accept the fact that his wife will be mad at him for leaving Neal to fish by himeself, he could do more fishing;therefor, he would get more practice, thus making him a better fisherman.
2. “If you push me far enough, all I really know is that he was a fine fisherman.”
“You know more than that,” my father said. “He was beautiful.”
“Yes,” I said, “he was beautiful. He should have been--you taught him.” (103)
This paragraph shows the relationship between Norman and his father has become stronger since Paul died. Befor they only talked about about fly fishing and religion but now they are talking more about the issues of life. Norman probably felt uncomfterable and tryed to end the conversation quickly by answering his father's questions simply. Than ater the last question he told his father that he had done a good job raising Pual and that he souldn't blame for what happend.
3. My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him, all good things--trout as well as eternal salvation--come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy. (4)
One of the metapors in the book is that flyfishing is a form of art. According to Norman’s father, if you are good at an art you can get to eternal salvation. Paul may have done many things that weren’t in his best intrests, religiusly, mentaly, and physicaly, But as long as he could perfect his art, he would earn his eternal salvation.
4.Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters. (104)
I think that this quotation that captures the true meining of the noval because it basicly sums up the entire book into one paragrph and five words. All things merging into one is life and the river that runs trough it carriies the words with it. The words are the desing of life and when it is floolded the desing is enterupted and life fails. The failing lifes this time were Pual and Jessie. The timeless raindrops were the tears cried over them, and there dising, there words, are still there, only fragmented. He is haunted with memories. Not bad memories, but the memories of the lifes that once were. By telling his memories he is relived of the burden to remember with his mind, and start rembering with his heart.