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Violence In The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber

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Many authors such as Hemingway, Steinbeck and Faulkner have used the theme of violence in their stories to make their stories seem more realistic and state something about life. However, these authors did not understand the purpose of violence nor how it is necessary for grace. Flannery O’Connor argued that violence could lead to grace because suffering is redemptive and grace itself is violent. Hemingway in his short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, illustrates two different reactions to violence. Francis Macomber successfully shoots a bull and feels empowered by the violence. He is finally able to accomplish something masculine. On the contrary, Francis’ wife sees the violence and change in her husband, becomes hysterical and shoots him. Hemingway used violence in this story to demonstrate Francis’ eventual masculinity and courage, and the hardships of marriage. Similar to Hemingway is Steinbeck. Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men, in which he suggested that violence is necessary for justice. Lennie commits an injustice by accidentally …show more content…

O’Connor as a Catholic, believes that grace is a natural gift from God. However, she believed that grace was a violent thing because it forces man to realize his need for God and compels him to virtuousness. In O’Connor’s stories, she produces a shock from the violence that eventually leads the character and reader into an understanding, which is grace. For example, in Flannery O’Connor’s story A Good Man is Hard To Find, an entire family is killed by a criminal. The main character in the story, a grandma, points out other’s flaws, but cannot see her own. However, once at gunpoint she is able to realize that the gunman is like herself and that she is not perfect. She finally has an understanding of herself and grace, which was caused by violence. In cases like this, violence can act as a conduit of

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