People have to experience many difficult situations in life which challenge them and reveal their true character. This often occurs in circumstances where fear is involved, because people will either react in a way that shows cowardice, such as by running away, or bravely, by facing their fears and overcoming the challenge. Author Ernest Hemingway demonstrates this theme very well in many of his short stories, but especially in “The Killers” and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” These stories put the characters through situations where people would realistically be very afraid, and they must make difficult choices in order to face these fears. There are many similarities and differences between these stories. They are different …show more content…
“The Killers” and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” take place in two very different settings and with very different characters. “The Killers” takes place in a diner in a small town, while “Macomber” takes place on a hunting safari in Africa. The characters in “The Killers” includes the diner employee named George and two gangsters hired to kill a man named Ole Andreson, who was once a professional boxer. In “Macomber,” the characters are a wealthy man named Francis Macomber, who is not seen as very brave and lets his wife, Margaret, do whatever she wants, including cheating and using him for his money. Another character is the safari guide named Robert Wilson. These characters have different lives and personalities. The two men who end up being killed in these stories, Ole and Francis, face their fears in different ways. Ole faces them …show more content…
First of all, the themes of these two stories are very centered around courage. In “The Killers,” both the people in the diner and Ole Andreson are put into a situation where they must be brave and make difficult choices. For example, Nick left the diner after the gangsters left in order to warn Ole of their arrival, risking his own life in the process. Then, Ole decides that he should stop running from his past and face the people who will kill him by saying, “There ain’t anything to do. After a while I’ll make up my mind to go out.” In the beginning of “Macomber,” Margaret treats Frances as though she can do whatever she wants without him leaving her, such as cheating and kissing another man in front of him. His response to this was to say, “There wasn’t going to be any of that. You promised there wouldn’t be,” which shows that he had allowed this to happen before. Later on, though, he stands up for himself against her more and says, “If you don’t know what we’re talking about why not keep out of it?” which is something that he never would have said in the past. This scares Margaret, which is why she kills him. The reason why these stories were written were also similar are to carry a message of the positive and negative effects of having courage. “The Killers” has a more negative connotation of be courageous by
The two short stories had many differences like time period, but had a huge common similarity, murder. The murder in the “Full Circle” was done out of jealousy and “The Most Dangerous Game” was done for sport. Some of the most
In "Killings"by Andre Dubus and In the Bedroom, directed by Todd Field, the author and director decided to go different directions with the beginning of the story, keeping the plot of the story almost identical. However, beginning the story differently impacted both works in completely different aspects. Dubus begins the story at the funeral of Frank which leads the reader to draw conclusions about what happened before Frank's funeral, while Field’s gives more background to viewer which allows the reader to make more connections. Dubus begins the story at Frank’s funeral which leads the reader to become confused throughout the story. As the reader reads through the story, they have to be able to connect the dots to understand what is happening. While in the movie, Field’s begins with the backstory leading up to Frank’s death which makes it easier for the viewer to understand what is happening. The difference between the two stories impacts how the reader and viewer are able to interpret the story.
Throughout the novels we have read this semesters, one can makes observation that many of the characters from each novel have gone through fear whether it was due to racial strife or threat to life. We then see the characters go out and find their salvation or in some cases leave their homes before being faced with the consequences they have brought upon themselves.. Finally, most character are then faced with their fate in life where in most situation it is death or freedom. We see these variations first develop by author Richard Wright 's in his novel and movie Native Son. Each variations can been seen within different characters from both Cane and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. The variations are shape within
When comparing the themes of each story, surprising similarities arise. First, both are developed around the lives of children. In “The Destructors” a group of boys called the Wormsley Gang have the same view of the world around them. They have grown up together and share stories about the bombs that destroyed their town. They also challenge each other to accomplish various tasks. The house that the boys ultimately destroy represents the greediness of Mr. Thomas, an architect who owns the tattered home. The Wormsley Gang called him ‘Old Misery’. In the Rocking Horse Winner”, the story’s plot is thickend by a a young boys obsessive desire to “become lucky”. This young boy, Paul, believes that his house is continually whispering, “…there must be more money…there must be more money”. Paul is able to relate the self-proclaimed dissatificatoin of his mothers life with the odd mood of his house. Paul knows that although his mother appears to have everything together on the outside, she does not love him on the inside. Paul believes that he can please his mother if he is able to find a way to give her more money. In both stories, the houses were very symbolic.
Another similarity in the setting is that both short stories take place in a war setting, the Vietnam war and the Ireland war. The characters in the two short stories have pretty equal similarities and differences. One of the big differences between the two characters is that one is a republican sniper and the other is a soldier. Another one of the differences between the two short stories is that the soldier in Ambush is scared and nervous about killing but the sniper in The Sniper is excited. “ He had been too excited to eat.”
These two short stories portrays that it is hard to make the right decision. The difficulty in making a decision is to insure that it doesn’t negatively impact your future. Also, your decision can effected the people that matter the most to you. All of these protagonist, portrayed the proper leadership skills to overcome their trials and tribulations. These short stories could have a positive effect on someone that feels like they are lost, confused, and
...ave brings them out of their protective and secluded shells. In both stories the theme of oppression, one mental the other physical, resulting in a victory, one internal the other external, prove that with determination and a belief in a higher power you can survive any situation.
Ernest Hemingway is today known as one of the most influential American authors of the 20th century. This man, with immense repute in the worlds of not only literature, but also in sportsmanship, has cast a shadow of control and impact over the works and lifestyles of enumerable modern authors and journalists. To deny his clear mastery over the English language would be a malign comparable to that of discrediting Orwell or Faulkner. The influence of the enigma that is Ernest Hemingway will continue to be shown in works emulating his punctual, blunt writing style for years to come.
Throughout the 20th century there were many influential pieces of literature that would not only tell a story or teach a lesson, but also let the reader into the author’s world. Allowing the reader to view both the positives and negatives in an author. Ernest Hemingway was one of these influential authors. Suffering through most of his life due to a disturbingly scarring childhood, he expresses his intense mental and emotional insecurities through subtle metaphors that bluntly show problems with commitment to women and proving his masculinity to others.
The topic at hand for both of these stories is simple, but has many opinions. That being a black man was accused as a murder/murder accomplice and was put on trial for it. Both, Monster and Murder on a Sunday Morning, deal with racial issues and being judged for the color of their skin; their cases are very similar but also have some key differences.
Ernest Hemingway, viewed as an American hero of his time, wrote novels that enrich the minds' of his readers, creating a lasting image that goes far beyond the actual content of the story. But while reading Hemingway, I learned that his style was far from complex. Through pre-meditated sentence structure, he creates a rhythm that parallels the action in the story. He wants the sentences themselves to be easy to understand, so the reader can use more energy focusing on the symbolism Hemingway's stories create. He skillfully places symbols and metaphors throughout his novels. In his own writing, Hemingway doesn't explain in detail his metaphors. Rather, he forces the reader to discover the deeper meaning hidden in his stories. His use of the "Tip of the Iceberg Theory" leaves the reader searching deeper into Hemingway's writing to find its true meaning. [VGC1]
Through the examination of these two texts it is evidently clear that in order for heroes to face their enemies it is vital that they first overcome personal hardships. This is true of the characters in both novels, as we examine their journey toward hero status. Whether their circumstances come from a manipulative external source or from an uncontrollable string of events, they both will undergo a similar process of development.
Melville and Hemingway portray their characters as polar opposites from one another. While Captain Ahab is a cold and often cruel manipulator who’s obsessive ways lead to his and most of his crew’s demise, while Santiago is seen as a kind hearted old man who sets out for one last grand adventure to change his luck and relive the glory he had years earlier. Both excellently portray both sides of the spectrum between selfish obsession and the need for one last great adventure as felt by each character in the novels.
Francis and Margot Macomber are anything but alike. Early on it is clear that they are held together, not by their feelings for one another, but because of the social status Francis holds back in America. Hoping to re-spark their marriage, the couple embarks on an African safari-hunting trip with professional guide, Robert Wilson. Their plan has the exact opposite effect when Francis Macomber cowardly flees from a lion mid-hunt. Embarrassed at her husbands actions, Margot begins an affair with Wilson, the more masculine of the two men. When hunting for buffalo the next day, Francis Macomber becomes enraged when Margot kisses Wilson i...
In his novels Ernest Hemingway suggests a code of behavior for his characters to follow: one that demands courage in difficult situations, strength in the face of adversity, and grace under pressure. Termed the "code hero," this character is driven by the principal ideals of honor, courage, and endurance in a life of stress, misfortune, and pain. Despite the hero's fight against life in this violent and disorderly world, he is rarely the victor. The code that the hero follows demands that he act honorably in this uphill battle and find fulfillment by becoming a man and proving his worth. Hemingway himself lived his life trying to show how strong and unlimited he was, a trait reflected in his novels as his heroes struggle through. They are all martyrs to their cause, suffering but triumphantly ending their lives because they do not falter and show no weakness. Destroyed, they are nevertheless winners because they do not give in. "Success is that old ABC -- ability, breaks, and courage" (Luckman n. pag.).