A River Runs Through It

Norman Mclean’s A River Runs Through It explores many feelings and experiences of one “turn of the century” family in Missoula, Montana. In both the movie, directed by Robert Redford, and the original work of fiction we follow the Mcleans through their joys and sorrows. However, the names of the characters and places are not purely coincidental. These are the same people and places known by Norman Mclean as he was growing up. In …

…Jessie at home in Montana where everyone felt at ease with her warm hearted love and sense of humor. In addition, Norman was able to use his own creative influence in order to adjust events to a manner that made him feel a little more at ease about the passing of his and others’ lives. So as it turns out, it appears that Norman Mclean wrote his stories not for the reader, but for himself.