Analysis Of The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” Hemingway uses the author’s craft of perspective, along with dialogue and internal dialogue to create a multi-part claim that develops an overall negative characterization of the three main characters. Hemingway develops the characterization of Wilson, Margaret, and Francis by using multiple perspectives as he threads a negative tone throughout the story.

Margot Macomber as the Hemingway Code Hero in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”

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

Women in Hemingway’s stories are portrayed to be heavily sensitive and emotional, and unable to deal with the realities of life. They do not seem to understand how life is not necessarily always going to be a picture perfect world. In “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, Margot Macomber is shown as a very emotional women in many circumstances, as if she is not able to deal with obstacles that life will throw at her. One instance of this is when the two men are having a discussion about killing the lion. At one point, she is making jokes and seeming perfectly fine, then the next thing she starts to cry. Her husband, Francis, and Wilson even acknowledge this as well. They describe how they “both saw

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “ The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,,” Hemingway uses the author’s craft of perspective along with dialogue and internal dialogue to create a multi-part claim that develops an overall negative characterization of the story’s characters. Hemingway develops the characterization of Margaret, one of the main protagonists, by using multiple perspectives to assure on her character traits of cruel, manipulative, and fearful.

Through their lives and distinct writing styles, these authors of similar times and caliber, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway have created vastly different works of literature that are still praised as American classics. These differences, as significantly prevalent in their style, allow readers to understand their lives and experiences through the stories. The dialogue, as the primary vector of this contrast, conveys the materials and information needed to understand the authors as individuals and in turn, their literature. Therefore, through the dialogue presented in Hemingway’s and Fitzgerald’s writing, important characteristics are easily discerned that provide insight into the characters’ interactions as well as the effect it has

Her childhood was rife with abuse, particularly at the hands of her mother, Delores. The tough exterior Margot exhibits is a parallel of her mother's own personality, so it is a learned behavior. This all connects back to her use of sex work as a means of survival as it was Delores who forced Margot into having sex with men as appeasement and monetary gain. First it was her stepfather, then it was a random man for cash. Margot's use of sex as a means of upward mobility is a learned behavior, it's what she was taught.

In “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway starts off with a couple going to visit the safari. When Francis, the husband gets to shoot a lion he gets scared and retreats. When he goes back to camp, he feels embarrassed and ashamed. His wife doesn't try to cheer him up instead she insults him by kissing Wilson and sleeping with him. This anger in him builds up giving him enough courage to go hunting for an animal to kill.

“We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” Known by many, this common phrase has few words, but a intense meaning. In Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” the overcoming of fear is shown throughout the story. Francis Macomber and his wife Margaret Macomber are on an African safari with a man name Robert Wilson. Hemingway portrays Francis Macomber as wealthy and beautiful, yet cowardly. Macomber's wife Margaret also young and beautiful, but seemingly dissatisfied with her husband of eleven years. Robert Wilson is portrayed as a fearless man that has little regard for anyone but himself. The story is focused around Francis Macomber’s cowardly actions and his attempt to become

Scholars and critics often use this short story as a jumping off point when exploring the development of Hemingway's approach to writing and his narrative style. The characters, Jim and Liz, are like many of Hemingway's characters in that they are disinclined to philosophize, are prone to action, learn from experience, and avoid abstract

In Hemingway’s short story, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, we begin with the married couple, Franics and Margaret Macomber, on a safari in Africa with a man named Robert Wilson. Francis is shown to be a coward when he shoots his first lion twice, but is too afraid to finish it off even though it may be suffering. Margaret is very displeased with her husband’s cowardice and shows her contempt by berating him profusely. Francis is awoken from his sleep late at night after a bad dream to find his wife, Margaret, is gone. When she returns to the tent she claims she was out getting “a breath of air” but Francis knew she had just slept with Robert Wilson. Francis

The other male character used often by Hemingway is the coward or the “messy man”. This is the man who follows no code and has no honor or bravery. He is often dominated by a woman, by far the most humiliating condition according to Hemingway. In The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway writes “Cowardess is the worst kind of luck any man could ever have” showing his despicable view towards any man lacking masculine qualities. One of the best examples of the coward is portrayed in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Francis. He is dominated by his wife and looked down upon by manly hunter Wilson. But as the story goes on, Macomber overcomes his cowardliness and becomes the sought after “code” hero for the short while before his death. The hunting expedition serves as an opportunity for Francis to learn the code and reassert his power over his wife. The male characters used by Hemingway in his stories say a lot about his own views of masculinity.

Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” chronicles a rich American couple’s safari hunting trip. Francis Macomber, a seemingly perfect man- handsome, wealthy, and athletic- and his wife, Margot Macomber travel to Africa for a hunting trip. The story opens on an afternoon cocktail hour, after a morning of hunting. Quickly, Margot’s frustration towards her husband emerges. She is embarrassed of his cowardness, and torments him. Richard Wilson, their safari guide, listens to the argument. Wilson is brave and athletic, essentially the qualities Macomber lacks. Earlier that morning, Macomber ran away from a lion, leaving Wilson to mercy kill it. Later, in an effort to win back Margot’s admiration, Macomber successfully gunned down three buffalo. However, an injured one charges, leaving Margot to shoot the buffalo, and Macomber. Hemingway’s use of literary elements enhance and deepen the reader’s understanding of the characters. He develops their actions and motivations through a code hero, symbolism, and allusion.

“The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” also contains the theme of arduous moral situations for the characters. Margot, the wife of Francis, is challenged by the temptation to have relations with their tour guide. Eventually, she commits the crime of adultery, and her husband finds out about her crime and is deeply shaken. “‘Well, why doesn’t he keep his wife where she belongs? What does he think I am, a bloody plaster saint? Let him keep her where she belongs. It’s his own fault’” (Hemingway 13). By the tone of Wilson thoughts, it is inferred that he is not able to find fault in himself and decides to blame it on the most vulnerable person, Francis. In spite of Wilson being the only man to blame for this whole incident, Margot can also take part of the blame. She appears to be a faithful and caring wife, but her actions do not justify this statement.

     The name, Margot, will now because of this character, will mean uncaring. Every aspect of her life had been by evil and hate for herself, which she then deposited onto her husband. She is the type of person that in order to make herself feel worthy has to taunt, tease and slander someone; she is “simply enameled in American female cruelty” (Hemmingway 1569). She is desperate to stay young and beautiful; she was desperate to make sure she was not left behind. She had Francis’s ticket in her hot little hand but kept in close to her because without it he would have left her. For “Margot was too beautiful for Macomber to divorce her and Macomber had too much money for Margot ever to leave him” (Hemmingway 1579). This is a marital “check” to keep each other in a position where they might not be able to leave. This is clear connection to Judy Jones and the way she loves to play with a man’s mind. Margot does it not like Judy