Style and Technique
Hemingway is the best-known stylist in modern American literature, and this story is an excellent example of his method. Understatement is the best term to characterize his writing. Using simple, declarative sentences, he avoids elaborate description, allowing exact physical details to suggest the settings, backgrounds, and implications of his stories. The reader is never told, for example, that Robert Wilson is British, but careful examination of his dialogue reveals his origins. Similarly, in the opening passages of the story, only the words “pretending that nothing had happened” alert the reader to anything out of the ordinary, yet by the time the reader learns that Macomber had been a coward, it comes as no surprise. Through slight intonations of dialogue and description, Hemingway has “shown” its effects before he “tells” about Macomber’s failure.
Hemingway rarely uses symbols overtly, yet subtly they are embedded in the story. Wilson’s admiration of the beasts he hunts, usually expressed in such terse lines as “damned fine lion” or “hell of a good bull,” suggest that these animals embody the qualities that he, and Hemingway, admire most: courage, strength, honesty, and grace under pressure. Ritual is important, too, in Hemingway’s work, and is most emphasized in the hunt itself, which brings out the best in man and animal. In other ways as well, small rituals bring order into the story and structure life into a meaningful whole.
Finally, attention should be paid to Wilson’s speech when he says, “Doesn’t do to talk too much about all this. Talk the whole thing away. No pleasure in anything if you mouth it up too much.” Hemingway shares this basic distrust of language, especially abstract language, so he allows as nearly as possible the action of the story to speak for itself. In “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” his technique succeeds in heightening the power of the story.
Historical Context
Stereotypes of the 1930s
Although Hemingway does not specify the exact time period of “The Short Happy
Life of Francis Macomber,” it is likely set in the mid-1930s, the era when the
story was penned. During the Great Depression, the Macombers' ability to afford
a lavish vacation is highly significant. This luxury suggests they are
disconnected from the harsh realities of the time, which included widespread
poverty, economic instability, and general hardship. With one-quarter of men
unemployed, traditional gender roles became exceedingly important. A jobless
man often questioned his masculinity, especially if he could not provide for
his family. Despite being childless and financially secure, Macomber's
character still grapples with issues of masculinity. In a pre-modern feminism
era, traditional ideas of a "real man" and a "real woman" were prevalent. Men
were expected to be brave, courageous, and chivalrous, while women were seen as
feminine, refined, and submissive to men.
An exception to this 1930s feminine stereotype is the "femme fatale," a woman who schemes for wealth and fame by any means necessary. Her danger lies in her outwardly feminine appearance, combined with her often masculine instincts. This archetype is romanticized in many books and films of the era, especially in the pulp fiction novels of Cornell Woolrich, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler. Their detective stories frequently featured alluring and manipulative women who ensnared characters like Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe. Hemingway, writing more mainstream literature, also employed this feminine stereotype, particularly in the character of Margot Macomber. She does not love her husband and has been unfaithful, yet his wealth keeps her from leaving him. Her possible scheme to kill him and become a wealthy widow can be seen as the actions of...
(This entire section contains 332 words.)
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a femme fatale. Hemingway, whose works often explore themes of masculinity, saw himself as an epitome of manliness through his interests in hunting, fishing, and bullfighting. By creating characters that reflect his own gender stereotypes, Hemingway's portrayals are now often seen as archetypal and not very realistic.
Literary Style
"The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" unfolds in the African savanna, where Mr. and Mrs. Macomber embark on a hunting expedition guided by Robert Wilson. The adventure concludes tragically when Mr. Macomber, standing his ground against a charging buffalo, is shot by his wife.
Symbolism
The story is rich in symbolism that deepens its meaning. The contrast between
the camp and the savanna symbolizes the differences between Macomber and Robert
Wilson. Leaving the camp signifies abandoning the comfort and luxury that the
Macombers are accustomed to. The savanna, in contrast, embodies Wilson's realm,
a wild and untamed force of nature. The lion and the buffalo, embodying the raw
power of nature, also symbolize the contrasting levels of courage and
masculinity between Macomber and Wilson. Likewise, the guns in the story serve
as symbols of manhood.
Point of View
The narrative is conveyed through a third-person perspective, meaning it is
told by a narrator who is not involved in the story's events. This perspective
enables the author to portray events objectively. For instance, Hemingway can
present Margot's claims of innocence alongside Wilson's conviction of her
guilt. The third-person narrative, with a narrator who does not always have
insight into the characters' thoughts, allows for this ambiguity. Only Margot
Macomber knows the truth about her guilt or innocence, and the narrator does
not resolve this uncertainty.
Irony
Irony plays a crucial role in this story. The most prominent example is the
title itself. While Macomber's life is undoubtedly "short," is it truly
"happy"? Additionally, it is ironic that his wife, who should be his protector,
ultimately causes his death. Moreover, the possibility that her instinct to
protect Macomber leads to his demise adds to the story's ironic climax.
Hemingway employs irony to introduce enough ambiguity, leaving the story's
outcome open to interpretation.
Compare and Contrast
-
1930s: Big game hunting is a favorite sport among Europeans in Africa.
1990s: Numerous big game animals are now endangered and reside in wildlife reserves. Hunting is heavily regulated, with stringent penalties for poaching.
-
1930s: Overseas leisure travel is mostly accessible to the very wealthy, who can afford both the expense and the time required for the journey.
1990s: Intercontinental travel becomes routine for the middle class. Airplanes have supplanted ocean liners, reducing both the cost and travel time.
-
1930s: The United States faces the Great Depression. In 1936, 38 percent of families earn less than $1,000 annually, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics sets the poverty level at $1,330.
1997: After a relatively mild recession in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the United States experiences a prolonged period of economic growth and recovery.
Media Adaptations
- Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” was turned into a movie in 1947 titled The Macomber Affair. This film, produced by Award Productions and directed by Zoltan Korda, featured Gregory Peck, Joan Bennett, and Robert Preston.
Bibliography and Further Reading
Sources
Baker, Carlos. “Dangerous Game.” In his Hemingway: The Writer As
Artist, 4th edition. Princeton University Press, 1972, pp. 186-191.
Baym, Nina. “Actually, I Felt Sorry For the Lion.” In New Critical Approaches to the Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, edited by Jackson J. Benson. Duke University Press, 1990, pp. 112-20.
Beck, Warren. “The Shorter, Happy Life of Mrs. Macomber—1955.” In Modern Fiction Studies. Vol 21, Autumn, 1975.
Hutton, Virgil. “The Short Happy Life of Macomber.” In The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: Critical Essays, edited by Jackson J. Benson. Duke University Press, 1975, pp. 239-50.
Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. Harper & Row, 1985.
O’Connor, Frank. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” In The Lonely Voice: A Study of the Short Story. World Publishing, 1963, pp. 156-69.
Wilson, Edmund. “Hemingway: Gauge of Morale.” In The Wound and the Bow: Seven Studies in Literature. Farrar, Straus, 1978.
Further Reading
Hart, James D., ed. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” In The
Oxford Companion to American Literature, 5th edition. Oxford University
Press, 1983, p. 689. This volume is an excellent guide to American literature,
offering detailed entries on authors, significant works, key characters, and
aesthetic categories.
Howell, John M., ed. Hemingway’s African Stories: The Stories, Their Sources, Their Critics. Scribner’s, 1969. This volume provides historical and biographical context surrounding the inspiration for Hemingway’s African stories, specifically “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”
Bibliography
Benson, Jackson J., ed. New Critical Approaches to the Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1990.
Berman, Ronald. Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and the Twenties. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2001.
Bloom, Harold, ed. Ernest Hemingway. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005.
Burgess, Anthony. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1999.
Flora, Joseph M. Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne, 1989.
Hays, Peter L. Ernest Hemingway. New York: Continuum, 1990.
Hotchner, A. E. Papa Hemingway: A Personal Memoir. New ed. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1999.
Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. 1985. Reprint. New York: Da Capo Press, 1999.
Padura Fuentes, Leonardo. Adiós Hemingway. Translated by John King. New York: Canongate, 2005.
Reynolds, Michael. The Young Hemingway. New York: Blackwell, 1986.
Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The Paris Years. New York: Blackwell, 1989.
Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The Homecoming. New York: W. W. Norton, 1999.
Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The 1930’s. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997.
Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The Final Years. New York: W. W. Norton, 1999.
Rovit, Earl, and Arthur Waldhorn, eds. Hemingway and Faulkner in Their Time. New York: Continuum, 2005.
Wagner-Martin, Linda, ed. Hemingway: Seven Decades of Criticism. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1998.
