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Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Essay

1358 Words6 Pages

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” he uses the writer’s technique of perspective to show readers the characterization of the three main protagonists in this story. Hemingway creates a multipart claim using perspective as well as dialogue to show readers a pervasive, negative tone carried throughout the story. Wilson, Margaret, and Macomber are characterized by multiple perspectives with multiple traits and negative aspects to their characters. To start, Mr. Wilson is presented as being a very judgemental person, especially toward Mr. Macomber. He then shows his professionalism in hunting and soon makes a shift in his judgemental outlook toward Mr. Macomber. In the beginning of the short story, Mr. Wilson’s judgemental outlook can be seen when Mr. Wilson thinks to himself “So he’s a bloody four-letter man as well as a bloody coward, he thought. I rather liked him until today. But how is one to know about an American,” (Page 3). Mr. …show more content…

Macomber as a coward because Mr. Macomber asks Mr. Wilson to keep the whole situation with the lion a secret, something he finds to be cowardly. This also shows Mr. Wilson’s thoughts on American men, as he judges them as cowardly odd people. Hemingway’s use of perspective allows readers to see Mr. Wilson’s judgemental side, as it is with the use of perspective that readers are able to see Mr. Wilson’s internal thoughts, thus allowing readers to see his judgemental side. Soon after, Mr. Wilson is portrayed as an experienced professional hunter instead of having a judgemental look upon everything. This can be seen in Page 12 when Mr. Wilson states to Mr. Macomber “For one thing, he’s certain to be suffering. For another, someone else might run into him.” This shows Mr. Wilson’s professionalism as he expresses his perspective on how to deal with an injured lion instead of leaving the lion there to suffer as Mr. Macomber wishes. Hemingway uses the dialogue between Mr. Wilson and

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