Only one can control their happiness and be in control of their life. In “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” the author Ernest Hemingway demonstrates the importance of controlling ones happiness and assuming there position of power through characterization and symbolism. This story displays the coward who Frances Macomber is characterized to be, overcoming being defeated by his wife Margot. Also the characterization and position of the people that had influenced his life challenge. The symbolisms of animals predominantly play a role in comparison to the characters moreover.
The ways that Frances Macomber interacted with other characters gave indications to his personality and who he was. Frances Macomber was a wealthy man but proven to be a boy. He showed much cowardice through his actions. Macomber states, “I bolted like a rabbit…” (Hemingway). He has proven himself through this quote to be fearful of lions and wanting to be more like a man; whom Mr. Wilson had resembled. Francis lived most of his adult life under the controlling and dominant power of Margot whom he did not respect. Margot said quietly “If you make a scene I’ll leave you…” (Hemingway). Although cowardice it is implied that he did have the courage to regain his self-possession. He redeems his sense of manhood and respect of others after charging a water buffalo and disobeying what his once powerful wife had to say. He had re-gained admiration when he finally conquers the first real challenge of his life; Happiness. Wilson communicates, “It had taken a strange chance of hunting, a sudden precipitation into action without opportunity for worrying beforehand, to bring this about” (Hemingway). Victorious in his self-defeat Macomber dies. Not only is it a normal death, Frances’s now “re-born”.
Margot Macomber was Frances’s beautiful wife whom he had been married to in an unordinary conjugal. She was a very deviant human being who did not truly love Macomber only loved his money and he only lover her for her beauty. The narrator states, [S]imply enamelled in that American female cruelty…” (Hemingway). She took advantage of Macomber as he showed being a coward and was very embarrassed to claim him as her husband after losing the encounter with a lion. She enjoyed seeing Frances weakness to not killing the lion at the beginning of the story and took psychological control over him. Margot explains, “I won’t leave you and you’ll behave yourself” (Hemingway).Wilson had also influenced Margot proving to be the man that she wanted and admired.
Francis Macomber is a thirty-five years old man, on an African safari. He is also there with his wife he is feminine as well as a coward. Macomber is considered a coward because when faced with his first lion, he bolted and fled, increasing hatred from his wife. She has been disapproving of him for a while. She is basically a snake in the grass and cheats on Macomber. Macomber decides to have a brave moment in his life for a chance and in the process, is killed. Gender roles and masculinity played a major part in the story; whether, it was Margot or Frances Macomber, and even more.
We notice, right from the beginning of his life, that Ernest Hemingway was confronted to two opposite ways of thinking, the Manly way, and the Woman way. This will be an important point in his writing and in his personal life, he will show a great interest in this opposition of thinking. In this short story, Hemingway uses simple words, which turn out to become a complex analysis of the male and female minds. With this style of writing, he will show us how different the two sexes’ minds work, by confronting them to each other in a way that we can easily capture their different ways of working. The scene in which the characters are set in is simple, and by the use of the simplicity of the words and of the setting, he is able to put us in-front of this dilemma, he will put us in front of a situation, and we will see it in both sexes point of view, which will lead us to the fundamental question, why are our minds so different?
Stephen M. Schuller and Acacia C. Parks research shows that circumstantial factors do not adequately explain different level of happiness. Positive reactions will contribute to everyone’s happiness just as well as negative reactions do. I agree with Schuller and Parks when it comes down to where your happiness comes from. I believe your happiness comes from how you react to every situation in your life and how you let it affect your happiness. Therefore, I do not agree with Newman and Larsen due to him believing your happiness is out of your control. Newman and Larsen state that most of what influences your long-term happiness is not in your control. Most circumstances that happen in your
Ernest Hemingway is known for writing novels and short stories with unresolved endings. In his short story, ?The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber?, he
One observation that can be made on Hemingway’s narrative technique as shown in his short stories is his clipped, spare style, which aims to produce a sense of objectivity through highly selected details. Hemingway refuses to romanticize his characters. Being “tough” people, such as boxers, bullfighters, gangsters, and soldiers, they are depicted as leading a life more or less without thought. The world is full of s...
Ernest Hemingway was an intricate and dedicated writer who devoted a significant portion of his life to writing multiple genres of stories. Throughout his stories, the similarities in his style and technique are easily noted and identified. Two of the short stories he wrote contain themes and motifs that specifically explain the plotline. The first story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” sets its scene in the depths of a desolate area in Africa, where the main characters, Harry and his wife, decide to make their home. After living there for a few years, Harry ventures out and falls into a thorn bush, thus infecting his leg with gangrene. A few weeks later, he finds himself on the brink between life and death, unable to treat such a severe infection. Throughout the whole story, his life is flashing before his eyes as he recalls all of the major events that occurred in his past. By nightfall, Harry is acting unusual, and he begins to feel as if life is not worth living anymore. After he drifts off to sleep that evening, his wife goes to check on him and discovers that her husband has passed away (Hemingway 52-77). The second great work of Hemingway, “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” is also set in a deserted section of Africa. Francis and his wife, Margot, are on a safari adventure along with their tour guide named Wilson. The way these three characters interact with each other creates tension and provides an adequate plot for the story. The trip begins with the couple intending on hunting big game. At first they track down a lion that continuously roars throughout the night, and later decide to chase after buffalos. To add to the complications of the trip, Margot has an intimate relationship with their tour guide. The story c...
Hemingway’s dialogue reveals the difficult nature of a relationship between a man and a woman, as it focusses on incompatibility of their relationship and their different values on abortion. The reader witnesses a deep conflict between them on the issue as the decision will affect both their relationship and the rest of their lives.
Through this brief anecdote, Hemingway presents the readers the social dilemma of male domination over his counterpart. The women's fight for equality changed some "old traditions" but there are still many Jigs in our society that shouldn't be treated as inferiors. Women are the most beautiful beings in life, but they are not to be possessed ,but loved and admired.
The Cambridge Companion to Ernest Hemingway; edited by Scott Donaldson; Cambridge U. P.; New York, NY; 1996
In the world there are many possibilities, and everyone wants something different in their life. Some people just want happiness other want so much more. This is a lot to take in so here it goes. Why do some people want more than just happiness? My reasoning is that i think that they are greedy but then again that's just me. Because maybe to someone else i'm that person. I don’t know what most people in the same room as me want to make of their life, i barely know what i want to make of my own. No one expects so much happiness to come from a little object they always look at the bigger picture which leads me into why I think people are so greedy. Long story short they all are too involved with the bigger picture to see that true happiness comes from the little things.
Hemingway's view of human nature was that happiness was rare and was found within a man and not in his outside circumstances or surroundings. Hemingway illustrates this in three ways. First, he portrays the human nature of Santiago, the main character, as being one of humility and compassion, full of strength and pride. He is shown not as a gleefully happy man, but one who meets life with a serene, quiet resilience. Second, Santiago's fellow villagers are shown as shallow and materialistic, with a narrow view of life compared to his. Their focus on appearances is in sharp contrast to Santiago's focus on intrinsic values. Third, it will be shown that his rare brand of happiness comes from within.
I recently read Earnest Hemingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." This is a story about a thirty-five year old man, Francis Macomber who is on an African safari hunt with his wife, Margot. Led by his guide, Robert Wilson, Macomber tries to display his manhood by killing dangerous creatures. This in fact has the exact opposite effect when he humiliates himself by running from a wounded lion. Samuel Shaw stated in Earnest Hemingway, "…this is about much more than a hunting yarn, although it is that, too. It is a story that examines that elemental bases of the male-female relationship and the sources of human freedom and dependence" (82). The situation is complicated when Margot sleeps with Wilson and Macomber knows about it. Macomber has another chance to prove himself when they go into an island of trees to shoot a wounded buffalo. This time he stands his ground and shoots repeatedly as the buffalo charges forward. Seeing the whole situation from the car Margot shoots at the last instant, and in a brilliant ending by Hemmingway, misses and hits Macomber right in the back of the head, leaving the reader to wonder, "Did she mean to hit him?" Prevalent in this story is Hemmingway's use of the literary conventions conflict and ambiguity.
Hemingway, Ernest. "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." 1936. The First Forty Nine Stories. London: Cape, 1946. 9-43. PDF File.
Through the characters' dialogue, Hemingway explores the emptiness generated by pleasure-seeking actions. Throughout the beginning of the story, Hemingway describes the trivial topics that the two characters discuss. The debate about the life-changing issue of the woman's ...
The movie Pursuit of Happyness shows how a person became a homeless then eventually how he survived from being a homeless. Then, to being a multi millionaire. Even though he experienced how hard life can be he still pursued to reach his goals in his life for his son. This movie shows how a homeless person stand up and pursue to be successful.