The Importance of Controling One's Own Happiness in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Ernest Hemingway

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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.

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