... for instance, if you search on GoogleImage for pictures of steelhead trout, like I did here (look up), you will find pictures of boys of various ages and sizes holding up fish and smiling, just like R. in the story. Who are they showing the fish to? Who indeed...Much of "Nobody Said Anything" reminded me of growing up in rural western NY. George was a fairly accurate facsimile of my little brother who also had a knack for fouling up my diversionary tactics with the parental units and generally stirring up feelings of fraternicide (we also shared a room.) When you are a young boy, you crave adventure. You go into the woods, to the river, across town and look for monsters to vanquish. You wish for the woman with the nice boobs to pick you up in the flashy car (did anyone else feel like this part was a little fantastic?), you wish for the monster in the stream, the biggest fish you or any of your buddies ever saw, you want to smoke cigarettes and shoot guns and kill things, etc. You have a lot of energy and crazy chemicals being produced internally, and generally you are looking for excuses to get them out.
A few images that came to me while reading this story were the Nick Adams stories (Hemingway), only Nick wasn't constantly jerking off. The scene where they split the steelhead also reminded me of the story of King Solomon in which two mothers quarreling over a baby come to Solomon for advice. He offers to cut the baby in half so they can both have a part. Now, obviously a mother would reject this notion, but here the boys (hilariously) fight over who gets the head. Some things never change...
...oh, you did mention Solomon. I did not read closely enough.
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