Hemmingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”: an in-depth analysis Think about a scary moment in your life. How did you handle the situation? How do you feel about how you handled it? Do you regret your actions? Everyone, at some point, is scared of something. Each person has different fears, reactions, and coping skills. Arachnophobia the fear of spiders and/or other arachnids leaves some crippled with fear, making them clam up, people with arachnophobia may avoid any situation where there could be a spider or even be paranoid about spiders under their toilet seat. A crippling fear has the power to alter a person’s life. The Central theme or universal lesson of Ernest Hemingway’s short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis …show more content…
First, Hemmingway presents, the protagonist, Francis Macomber as a pitiful and ignominious man that you should not look upon admirably because of “cowardly” behavior, which opposes the universal theme of the story. Though, as the story develops so does Francis; he transforms from a lowly coward to an exceptionally brave man. Examples of Francis’ cowardice are seen in situations like after facing the lion. Before the word coward is ever mentioned by Hemmingway it is made very clear in the opening that Macomber is not a man to be admired. This is supported by a statement made by Macomber’s wife Margaret, “No, it is mine that is red today.”(Hemmingway 2), when speaking about the shade of Mr. Wilson, the safari guide, and Macomber’s faces. This statement is setting the stage for describing Macomber’s personality and the way he lives life. It is generally safe to say that a husband and wife are proud of each other, and are supportive and kind especially in distress. This conversation …show more content…
Openly cheating on her husband repeatedly attests to that. She is very confident and sure of herself. When confronted about her most previous outing she simply retorts “well you’re a coward.”(14). Two things are going on in that scene. Hemmingway is portraying Margot as brave and Macomber as weak and pathetic. He will not stand up to his wife for real, he tries and fails when faced with the confidence she exudes. As Macomber becomes more confident and brave Margot begins to falter and though she never makes a statement that she is scared, her actions at the end of the story prove she is becoming scared. Her husband being a coward secured her power over him, and she is a person who needs to be in charge, when he loses this she is scared. Ultimately, she shoots Macomber in the back of the head. Hemmingway leaves her intentions debatable for some, but analyzing her personality and the unknown factors points toward homicide. There are women who have been known to deliver perfect kill shots upon the first time handling a weapon, so even if she had never fired a weapon before it is possible to execute a kill. She could have been aiming for his back and accident blown off the back of his head. Being scared is not enough to prove her intent was not at least to injure, after all she was losing
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
Farewell my Lovely, The Robber Bridegroom, and In the Skin of a Lion all contain heroes, although their heroism is of an unconventional sort. Despite their non-traditional nature, the characters of Philip Marlowe, Jamie Lockheart and Patrick Lewis are all identifiably true heroes, because they successfully engage, draw in, and 'win over' the reader with their positive characteristics. They are not merely average people with a few heroic attributes. Furthermore, these characters have many characteristics in common, despite their disparate backgrounds and vocations (of a private detective, a bandit, and a worker). This essay begins by introducing the theme of 'ambiguous heroism' that runs through each of the three novels, by scrutinising the example of The Robber Bridegroom. Following this, by looking in detail at the similarities (and differences) that are evident in terms of the characters' moral stances, physical bravery, and world view, it shall be demonstrated that all three characters are candidates for ambiguous heroism.
In the short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, Wilson’s actions show that he has characteristics of a Hemingway Code Hero. Wilson proves that he is a lot better at hunting, compared to Francis Macomber, when they were going to kill a lion. He does not show that he is very emotional after Francis dies. He does not brag how good he is at hunting, compared to Francis. Wilson is a Hemingway Code Hero, based on the fact that he is skillful, can control his emotions, and is a man of action, not a talker.
President Franklin Roosevelt famously said, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”(Psychology Today) In literature, many authors use the five primal fears of extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego-death in their works. The primal fears of ego-death, separation, and loss of autonomy are used because they have an affect on one’s mental state that in some cases cause people to think unclearly and irrationally.
Bringing your spouse on an African safari in a time when Africa is not well known to Westerners is a very enticing thing to do for someone who is contemplating the murder of her husband. It is very likely that Margot will get off without a conviction for this murder case, if there even is one. Margot isn’t going to be finding another husband soon due to her degenerate looks and the lack of age-defying plastic surgeries in the time. It was brilliant to her that she kill Francis and inherit his mass amount of funds so that she’d be well off herself. She had such a perfect chance to kill him that she’d have regretted not doing it. The evidence is great enough to prove that this beautiful beast was the murderer of Francis Macomber.
In the short stories “The Short, Happy Life of Frances Macomber” and “A New Leaf”. There is a misconception between perception and reality among the characters. “The Short, Happy Life of Frances Macomber”, there is a collisions between Francis perception of himself and what the other characters thought of him, in regards to the safari guides have a different perspective of him. “A New Leaf”, Dick and the other character have a perception of him but they are aware of his reality. Perception can lead to one being in denial when it comes to reality.
Fear is a feeling that people wish they could escape and not have control their life. However, fear is a valuable asset to life. Fear is what holds us back from going swimming in the ocean at dawn, after hearing about a shark attack. Without fear, there would be nothing to withhold us from irrational acts. Fear can also become overbearing, it can thwart any rational thoughts and cause paranoia to consume all. Through terror, paranoia can overcome rational thoughts and cloud judgment. As portrayed in “The Masque of Red Death,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” without any rationality fear leads to rash acts. Edgar Allen Poe uses symbolism, irony, and imagery to illustrate how fear can influence perceptions of reality, and the repercussions of their acts.
In the Premature Burial by Edgar Allan Poe, the main theme throughout the story is that you can face and overcome your fears if you don't let fear control you. I think to get
...of the value of time and silence. With few words and actions, Elroy is able to prompt O’Brien to reach a resolve regarding his moral obligation to attend war. Miraculously, he succeeds without so much as mentioning war or O’Brien’s obvious predicament “as if he already knew” (58), suggesting he encompasses the omniscient masculine ideal. The unique way in which Mary Anne and Elroy disappear nearing the end of each short story further establishes their character’s identity. While Mary Anne’s exit derives confusion and drama, Elroy’s is simple and painless. This suggests that Mary Anne’s masculinity is presented through her loud and chaotic actions whereas Elroy’s is through his quiet sagacity.
There are several significant plot moments in the story. One is Macomber fleeing from the wounded lion. This creates the conflicts of Macomber vs. his wife and Macomber vs. his own cowardice. Francis Macombers and his wife, Margret Macombers, set off on an remarkable safari in Africa with Robert Wilson, a professional hunter and guide. The atmosphere is tense, though Wilson and the African porters try to act as if everything were normal. Robert Wilson begins to grow impatient and infuriated with Francis continuously bringing up his cowardice failure earlier in the afternoon. Francis Macomber was to kill a lion, but Francis was frightened
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Marriage is neither heaven nor hell, it is simply purgatory.” This is exactly what the Macomber’s marriage is represented as in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, by Ernest Hemingway. Francis Macomber was a coward, and Margot Macomber was a floozy. The two had their own reasons for the forced union between them, “Margot was too beautiful for Macomber to divorce her and Macomber had too much money for Margot ever to leave him” (Hemingway 18). Which leads to the debate that has been raging on since the story was published. Did Margot kill her husband accidentally when she was caught up in the heat of the moment, or did she see the opportunity and take it? I believe that Margot Macomber took advantage of the
As the Macombers go on a safari hunt in Africa, things begin to change between Francis and Margot. It is noticed that Francis is definitely not an outdoors man. He is in to the more finer things because he is a richer man. Wilson, the safari guide, is a man’s man. He is a great hunter and he is not afraid of anything; on the other hand, Francis is referred to as a coward. Margot becomes deeply attracted to Wilson. She was trying to make Francis envious by flirting with Wilson, but apparently this was not the first time she had tried such things. Margot has such control over Francis that when she realizes that she is starting to lose it, she decides to kill him in order to regain her confidence and control back.
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.
Wilson does this by trying to understand why Macomber is nervous; he remembers that Macomber’s inexperience must make him see things in a different light than that which Wilson sees things in. This proves Wilson’s character to be more internally conflicted and aware of his character flaws than is seen of him in the beginning. This timeline of intrapersonal thought helps build Wilson’s characterization as rude and judgemental. In addition to seeking understanding, readers see Wilson’s final characterization development in his appraisal of Francis Macomber.This is seen when “Wilson looked at him appraisingly. Damned if this isn’t a strange one, he thought. Yesterday he’s scared sick and today he’s a ruddy fire eater” (Hemingway 22). In the end, Wilson appreciates Macomber’s character and even goes as far as to praise him. Wilson is proud of what Macomber becomes by the end of the short story and admits that he takes a certain and peculiar liking to Francis. This is Hemingway’s way of showing readers a vulnerable side of Wilson, a side that connects with Macomber through Macomber showing strength in the presence of a challenge, persevering through the disgust
As Mrs. Macomber looks at Wilson, she is knowingly betraying her husband: “He [i]s about middle height with sandy hair, a stubby mustache, a very red face and extremely cold blue eyes with faint white wrinkles at the corners that grooved merrily when he smile[s]” (5-6). Mrs. Macomber has a husband who will never leave her as “Margot [i]s too beautiful for Macomber to divorce her,” but she still looks for people better than him (18). Her name, Mrs. Macomber, shows other people she is loyally married to Francis Macomber, but she uses her beauty to control him and do whatever she wants. This includes cheating on him. This is contrary to the usual thought that women are under men’s control. While using his name to look good in society, she is also selfishly going behind his back to cheat on him multiple times: “There wasn’t going to be any of that. You promised there wouldn’t be” (19). Mrs. Macomber is a selfish and controlling American woman who takes advantage of her husband. When Francis Macomber starts to regain his confidence back, Margot’s “face [i]s white and she look[s] ill” (25). The meaning of the name Margot is “Pearl.” Margot is terrified of Francis Macomber’s new confidence because she no longer has any control over him. Her ability to control Francis controls her future,