Throughout the story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" written by Ernest Hemingway, my emotions were everywhere. At certain moments I genuinely felt confused, indignant, and joyful. This story is truly a roller coaster. This story takes place in Africa and concentrates on three main characters, Francis Macomber, Margot Macomber, and Robert Wilson. Francis is a rich man whom, by society, is considered a coward. Margot Macomber, the wife of Francis Macomber, is a gold digger who despises her husband due to his lack of heroism and is embarrassed to be married to him. Robert Wilson, the guide for their African safari is a womanizer who sleeps with the wives of his clients. Margot and Francis are only together because they need each other, not by love “They had a sound basis of union. Margot was too beautiful for Macomber to divorce her and Macomber had too much money for Margot ever to leave him.”(Hemingway, 11) Through my extensive reading of this story revelations of point of view, conflict, and symbolism are present to reveal the hidden meaning of each element held in this story.
Although this story is not real, Hemingway did
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In the beginning, Francis compared himself to a rabbit when speaking to Wilson when faced with a lion, an animal who is described as prey, and small “I bolted like a rabbit” ( Hemingway, 3). Later on when Francis does want to be manly and hunt such as predators do, he gets shot just like the lion does. This association cannot be overlooked because of its meaning in the story. Francis went from a rabbit to a lion, who unfortunately got hunted down by hunters and they were Margot and Wilson. From a coward to a man yet was brought down by people who wanted to see him change in the first place; the irony in this symbolism is astonishing to me because at first, all Margot wanted was for her husband is to mature into a brave man yet when he does so, she kills