The Prodigal Son Parable and Maclean's a River Runs Through It

Summary

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There is no question that the "brother's keeper" theme provides the strongest theological and dramatic momentum in Norman Maclean's beautifully lyrical story of fishing, family, and religion. Besides the "brother's keeper" thematic, another biblical analog--the prodigal son parable--is bare concealed beneath the powerfully moving narration of Maclean's novella. Using the well-known prodigal son tale, Dooley explores the relationship between the older and younger brothers and how their father deals with each of them in Maclean's A River Runs Through It.

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Extract

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The Prodigal Son Parable and Maclean's a River Runs Through It

THERE is no question that the "brother's keeper" theme provides the strongest theological and dramatic momentum in Norman Maclean's beautifully lyrical story of fishing, family and religion. Even first time and casual readers of Maclean's poignant and cathartic tale of guilt and grief recall the opening and closing lines of his narrative: "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing" and "I am haunted by waters."1 Maclean is haunted by waters because in a family that conflated sporting activities with spiritual ones, the family's proscribed remedy for helping someone - "take them fishing" - was tragically inept.2 Some fifty years later, Maclean was still processing a deep-seated and chronic ache. For instance, one of the earliest warnings of Paul-in-trouble comes when Paul tells the story of his moonlit chase of a rabbit that ends with his running off the road and nearly totaling his car. Hearing Paul's tale Norman wonders, though it was not spoken of, whether Paul had had too much to drink: but "since it was no great thing either way,...

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