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The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Analysis

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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. Richard Wilson is a man’s man, and embodies Hemingway’s fascination with living life on the edge. The “white hunter,” Wilson, lives the life according to Hemingway values. Hemingway believes in the importance of physical activities and outdoorsmanship. Wilson has an attractive ruggedness, and embodies many of Hemingway’s code hero traits. Hemingway uses an allusion to a famous Shakespeare line to strengthen the character of Wilson.

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