Superiority or Interest: A Perspective on Hemingway’s “Indian Camp”
Superiority or Interest: A Perspective on Hemingway’s “Indian Camp” When one reads “Indian Camp” by Ernest Hemingway one may find themselves wondering many things. Throughout the entire story the Indians are referred to as “Indians.” The woman giving birth is always called “the Indian woman,” and Uncle George’s shout of “Damn squaw bitch,” leads many to believe that Hemingway considered the Indians inferior. One may also begin to question why a Doctor was so unprepared for a surgery and whether he came unprepared because it was an Indian woman. These observations have led many to believe that Ernest Hemingway felt that Caucasians were superior, meaning that Indians were inferior in comparison. However, my research shows that Hemingway did not feel that the Indians were inferior; instead Hemingway had a great interest in primitive societies and was inspired by them.
“Indian Camp” was written in 1924, during the 1920s it was believed that the Indians would eventually become extinct. However, when they did not become extinct, the Indians moved to secluded areas where they were out of the non-Indian’s sight (Native American Netroots). Although many non-Indians wished the Indians would become extinct, research shows that Hemingway had a collection of fifty-seven books on Indians in his library (Meyers 215). It has been shown as well that Hemingway was well read in anthropology. Hemingway was also known to be a student of Frazer, who was known for his belief “that the primitive past influenced the psychology of the present” (Meyers 216). Hemingway was also known to boast of Indian blood, Indian mistresses, Indian daughters, and he enjoyed imitating Indian speech (Meyers 215). Hemingway even ventured sexually with instinctive people, otherwise known as Indians (Meyers 215). In the scene where the Indian father is found to have committed suicide, one could quickly assume that Hemingway placed this scene to belittle Indian men and make them seem weak in a sense. In
“Indian Camp” was written in 1924, during the 1920s it was believed that the Indians would eventually become extinct. However, when they did not become extinct, the Indians moved to secluded areas where they were out of the non-Indian’s sight (Native American Netroots). Although many non-Indians wished the Indians would become extinct, research shows that Hemingway had a collection of fifty-seven books on Indians in his library (Meyers 215). It has been shown as well that Hemingway was well read in anthropology. Hemingway was also known to be a student of Frazer, who was known for his belief “that the primitive past influenced the psychology of the present” (Meyers 216). Hemingway was also known to boast of Indian blood, Indian mistresses, Indian daughters, and he enjoyed imitating Indian speech (Meyers 215). Hemingway even ventured sexually with instinctive people, otherwise known as Indians (Meyers 215). In the scene where the Indian father is found to have committed suicide, one could quickly assume that Hemingway placed this scene to belittle Indian men and make them seem weak in a sense. In
Cited: "Cultural and Racial Inequality in Hemingway 's Indian Camp." 123HelpMe.com. 05 Nov 2013 Del Gizzo, Suzanne. "Going Home: Hemingway, Primitivism, and Identity." MFS Modern Fiction Studies 49.3 (2003): 496-523. Print. Meyers, Jeffrey. “Hemingway’s Primitivism And Indian Camp.” Twentieth Century Literature 34. (1988): 211-222. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Wed. 22 Oct. 2013. "Native American Netroots." Native American Netroots. N.p., 14 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. . "The Nobel Prize in Literature 1954."The Official Website of the Nobel Prize.N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. .