Trout Fishing

Richard Brautigan’s Trout Fishing in America appears more as a collection of vignette’s than a continuous novel, yet there are themes that connect throughout the book and vignettes that connect with one another or whose story is revisited a few chapters later. The most obvious theme that appears in the book is “Trout Fishing in America,” and immediately the question becomes what does “Trout Fishing in America” mean or symbolize? To come up with a answer would allow for a better understanding of the bigger point of the novel Trout Fishing in America. “Trout Fishing in America” represents Americana, the “American Ideal,” what it was and what it has become. Trout Fishing in America is presented as a memoir collection of Brautigan’s experiences as a kid up to his adult life, commenting on the America’s society and culture. It is constantly asking the question, “What is America?” and using “Trout Fishing in America” to present different answers to the question.
The book’s opening chapter “The Cover for Trout Fishing in America,” introduces strongly the upcoming depiction and critique of America. It is a statue of Benjamin Franklin, one of the forefather’s of America, erected “to our / boys and girls / who will soon / take our places / and pass on” that “welcomes” from all four directions of the world(1). Franklin is perhaps the most famous forefather, he could be the father of America and his statue being presented for children, for hope and for the future¬, is the ideal that America has always held, welcoming all immigrants to the land of promise. However, in this American park, there is a huge gathering of homeless and hungry who are poor and are opposite of the American ideal and dream that is represented in the statue. They do not even go to the statue for food, but instead to a Christian Church, and the sandwiches are often “just a leaf of spinach”(2). The chapter closes with a Kafka quote that Americans are “healthy and optimistic”(2). Brautigan’s presentation of the quote concludes a very cynical look at the American hope and promise.
The next two chapters “Knock on Wood” continue the introduction of Americana under the alias “Trout Fishing in America,” a classic American pasttime. Brautigan juxtaposes trout fishing with the steel industry and the industrial revolution, Carnegie in particular, as if it was the industrial revolution that is America. Brautigan continually uses trout fishing throughout the book to present some aspect of our society as what defines America. The second part of “Knock on Wood” shows the hope for “Trout Fishing” or “America”, though Brautigan as a child isn’t quite sure what it is. Although he does not exactly know what America or Trout Fishing is, he has some idea and vision and is shown that his perception is not reality, a lesson that he will remember forever.
Throughout the rest of the book, although not always using the words “Trout Fishing in America” Brautigan presents different stories that paint America in a certain light by showing different aspects of it. “Trout Death by Port Wine” shows that although America and its land of dreams is supposed to be a certain way, there exists another side. This side is also presented in “The Kool-Aid Wino” and “A Walden Pond for Winos”. “A Note on the Camping Craze that is Currently Sweeping America” is a critique of America’s culture, as well as “The Cleveland Wrekcing Yard,” which depicts the capitlist and materialist views that is America, and “Witness for Trout Fishing in America Peace” is a look at the counter-culture of the time and the possible socialist shift in American culture. “Trout Fishing on the Street of Eternity” shows the hope that exists in both Trout Fishing and in America, but also the failure that is possible and does occur, using the failure to catch a trout to symbolize the failure to come from rags to riches. “Trout Fishing in America with the FBI” shows the FBI’s watch on society and attempt to shape and control where Americana is headed.
Trout Fishing is America. Brautigan presents many sides to America in an attempt to reveal that what most people think of as America is not in fact reality. Or maybe instead, that although people may see America one way, there are many other sides to it.

Ferlinghetti