“The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber” is a short story that is set in a African big-game safari. Francis and Margaret Macomber, a rich couple from America wanted to go hunting, and hired a man named Robert Wilson, a professional hunter. Wilson is an englishman who guides people on safaris, and has native servants who help him and the couple. He often beats his servants if they do not do their job right, but he says “They prefer it to the fines."(Hemingway p.3 para.13). When Wilson takes Francis for his first hunt, Francis is startled by a lion and runs away cowardly. Margaret is embarrassed by Francis and starts to flirt with Wilson, and later has an affair with him. The next day, Francis redeems himself by killing some buffalo, regaining his confidence …show more content…
She saw how he began to take control of himself and the regaining of his confidence. When the gun bearer came back after falling from the car to tell Wilson the buffalo was still alive, Margaret took the opportunity to regain her edge by saying this after Wilson told her. "Then it's going to be just like the lion," said Margot, full of anticipation.” (Hemingway p.14 para.3) She anticipated that the buffalo will make Francis look like a coward again, so she could regain her power to control him again. The biggest clue given in the argument against Margaret is what she said before the hunt for the last buffalo. When she was talking to Francis about how “brave” he has become, he acknowledged it. She then said "Isn't it sort of late?" Margot said bitterly.” (Hemingway p. 22 para. 14). This quote foreshadows that Francis is coming close to the end of his life. When Francis is shot, Margot “cries hysterically”, which makes the reader think Francis’s death is unintentional. A dispute to this claim is the fact that most would cry if they killed someone they knew for so long. Margaret must have felt some regret in killing