Francis Macomber Code Hero Essay

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In the short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway, the idea of a code hero, affects the reader's view of the characters. First is Francis Macomber. He does not appear as a hero immediately but later blossoms into one after facing hardships on his safari. Then we have Margaret Macomber, his wife. She is the opposite of Macomber, starting out looking like a code hero then deteriorating that image as her husband grows stronger. Robert Wilson a hunting guide Macomber hiers for the safari is show immediately as a hero and stays that way wavering only slightly at the end of the story. Through the use of diction and syntax, Hemingway develops characters that have qualities of a code hero. Francis Macomber is a rich …show more content…

After Macomber runs from the lion, Margaret is tired of her husband and sleeps with Robert WIlson the hunting guide. When she returns to her tent in the middle of the night macomber is awake and confronts her. She avoid the conversation saying,”Please, let’s not talk. I’m so sleepy, darling” (Hemingway 12). The short choppy sentences show that she is controlling the conversation even though Macomber thinks he is. The use of the words “Please” and “darling” shows her calm and grace even under the pressure of being caught. Macomber becomes suddenly brave and confident after that incident. With his newfound confidence ````Margaret is afraid her husband will actually leave her now. On this hunting trip a buffalo charges straight at Macomber, he stands his ground and, “aiming carefully, shot again with the Buffaloes huge bulk almost on him [...] he could see the little wicked eyes and head started to lower and he felt a sudden white-hot blinding flash explode inside his head”(Hemingway 19). These sentences are long which provides suspense and makes the situation tense. it shows that both Margaret and Macomber's decisions were split-second decision that they hadn't been planning. the use of the word “Wicked” shows just how dangerous of a situation Macomber is in. “Head started to lower” hints that the bull was almost dead, going down when Margaret shot. from the car she is

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