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Literary Analysis: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

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Literary Analysis: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
Ms. Ludwig
AP English Literature
24 January 2014
Literary Analysis: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway. The story takes place in Africa on a big-game safari with Francis Macomber and his wife Margaret Macomber. They are led by the safari leader: Robert Wilson. In the short story Hemingway wanted to relay a message that men needed to prove themselves as men. Hemingway conveys his message through the use of theme, point of view, and symbolism. The theme of this story was somewhere around masculinity and courage. Francis has never been able to prove himself, he is rich and has always been sheltered out of any situation to do so. The result is this meek man who ended up running away when it came to encountering a lion. Wilson however is an embodiment of masculinity, a man of the land. He makes a living out of killing things. Hemingway shows Wilson as being way more courageous and masculine than Francis, and resultingly Margaret sneaks out in the middle of the night and stays the night in Wilson’s tent. This act of adultery is apparently not the first which is hinted towards when Francis says, “There wasn’t going to be any of that. You promised there wouldn’t be… You said if we made this trip there would be none of that. You promised.” Through his cowardice and immasculinity he has gained the contempt of his wife and doesn’t even have the courage to leave his cheating wife. This is not a happy situation and Hemingway is showing that if a man is not masculine or courageous he will not be happy. As when he finally no longer fears animals he is actually happy. He was changed; courageous and happy. Margaret sensed that he would leave her as said by Wilson and so she had shot him in the head. Hemingway also shows his belief in the importance of masculinity through point of view which is third person (limited omniscient). He does various shifts in the perspective of the


Cited: Hemingway, Ernest, Ernest Hemingway, Detlev Gohrbandt, Ernest Hemingway, and Ernest Hemingway. "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber: And Other Stories. Stuttgart: Ernst Klett, 1984. N. pag. Print.
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