“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Hemingway

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Themes that Justify the Intentional Act
Events that Justify that Margot’s Killing was Intentional
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Ernest Hemingway, the author, of “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is known for his unresolved endings in his short stories and novels. Hemingway kept his audience wondering in the short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, whether Margot kills her husband. The ending of the story depicts murder as a possible solution, some individuals suggest that Francis Macomber’s death was a result of a mere tragic accident. The incident occurred while on a trip to the safaris in Africa when his wife Margot was trying to save him from being hurt by the charged buffalo. The situation is ironic, that the shooting was done by Mrs. Macomber while she was out hunting. I believe firmly that the cause of death of Macomber was an intentional act, this is because of the intimate relationship of the intertwined sequence of the events that took place prior to the act.

Themes that Justify the Intentional Act

In the short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”, there are several themes that play significant roles in proving the intentional act by Margot. For instance, the theme of Courage and cowardice forms the central theme in the book (Subekti et al.). The theme plays mutual benefits in describing the state or the mood of Francis Macomber. The story describes how the state of cowardice results in what kind of relationship among the three individuals, Wilson, Macomber, and Margot. Hemingway begins his story in the aftermath of the failure that by Macomber, he was regarded as a cowardly failure and not considered a man, especially by her wife.

Additionally, the theme of gender roles plays an important role in categorizing the type of death, committed intentionally. Margot’s action was facilitated by the categorization of the kind of men that Wilson and her husband were. From this, we are able to know why one individual would survive while the other lives. However, despite how much Macomber would try to show some masculinity, Margot still does not feel attracted to him as compared to Wilson.

The theme of guilt and innocence is present in the story, this theme conveys the intertwined relationships of the events as a result of guilt and innocence that led to the intentional death. It is considered that if at all Margot’s actions were intentional, then there exists a chance that she is guilty of committing the crime. She is considered guilty by Wilson who teases her about the events that unfold, this was after she shot and killed her husband (Spencer et al.). He did not believe her innocence as she claimed while sobbing. Lastly, the theme of conflict can be used to justify the intentional act that was committed. There exists internal conflict that might have led to the intentional accusation. As various events unfold, the kind of internal conversation that Wilson had categorised or indicated that Wilson and Macomber had issues that were conflicting. In addition to that, Macomber and his wife were not in good terms because of the constant disapproval of the acts and every step that Macomber made.

Events that Justify that Margot’s Killing was Intentional

Firstly, Wilson needed to protect his job, the one thing that he truly values, this is one of the reasons for engineering Macomber’s death. The story provides various acts that lead to the shooting of Macomber, Wilson deliberately chasing the buffaloes knowing that if caught doing that, he can lose his job. Wilson was chasing the injured buffalo with a car towards Macomber, this act alone was illegal and could lead to him losing his license (Knodt). When Wilson realized that he was on the verge of losing his job, he facilitated Macomber’s death in various ways; issuing the larger gun to Macomber and leaving the smaller one with Margot. Wilson then talks of the most difficult way to kill a charged buffalo; however, he knew Macomber will surely fail this test. After ensuring that Margot will be having a clear shot at Macomber from wherever she is, he misses the charged buffalo several times. Missing the buffalo more than two times to a professional shooter like Wilson was an intentional act.

Additionally, having known of the unhealthy and deteriorating relationship between the two couples, Wilson knew for sure, it will be easier for Margot to end his husband’s life when given the opportunity. The small gun was placed in the car where Margot could access it easily, Wilson had no problem with this because he will not be accused of the act. For Macomber, the hunt for buffalo is his chance to convince his wife and Wilson that he was a man contrary to the reference made by his wife as a coward. In addition to that, Wilson felt that allowing Macomber to shoot the charged buffalo was jeopardizing his job but it was more useful in redeeming himself for having slept with his client’s wife. Being guilty of his actions, Wilson engaged in several acts that were against the rules and regulations of his workplace, for instance, he chased the buffalo using a car.

Margot knew that her husband Macomber was going to leave and not recognize her as his wife and that could result in her not having anything to her as an inheritance. With the fact that the marriage between Margot and Macomber was based on money, she would not want to lose his psychological control, therefore she valued her power and psychological control over her husband. When Macomber says he was not afraid of anything, Wilson showed some sympathy, while to Macomber, the feeling was exciting him, “Like a am bursting…. pure excitement”, he said (Hemingway 38). Wilson noticed that Macomber had undergone change the same way he usually witnesses men come of age in those African plains before. In the plains, where men are initiated into the world of courage, Macomber has undergone initiation in the same field. He was proud of the achievement and began ignoring whatever his wife was speaking.

Margot after recognizing the fact that she was growing young and beautiful no more, knew when her husband divorces her, she would be left worthless, therefore she decided to kill him. Additionally, this probably happened after she realized that her husband had become courageous and developed a sense of manhood, with these, he could change while Margot could not. Killing him to her would serve as a clean getaway and in addition to that, she would not just be an ordinary widow but an honorable and a wealthy individual within the society. The short happy life of Macomber began within the shooting and stood solid for the heavy horned water buffalo. During this moment while shooting the charged buffalo in excitement, his happy life was cut short.

Wilson’s intimacy with Macomber’s wife is a sign of a dysfunctional relationship that existed in the marriage. The emotional conversation that Wilson and Margot had in the tent gave a clear depiction of what necessitated the death of Macomber. Additionally, Margot referred to Macomber as a coward, an act that did not sound good for her husband and therefore he needed to prove his wife wrong. Macomber was frustrated for having been referred to as a coward, it is because of this that he needed to prove to Wilson and his wife that he was not a coward. He did engage himself in various activities to show that he did not care about the fact that his wife slept with Wilson. To show it, Macomber did not care and did not feel frustrated with the kind of relationship that he witnessed between her wife and Wilson. The kind of relationship that existed between the three justifies how the origin of the scenario that later led to death.

After Macomber’s failure to kill a lion, Margot, psychologically disapproves of the kind of man he is, she displayed adulterous actions and inflicted provocative language. The fact that her husband was afraid and ran away from the lion instead of killing it made her lose respect for him. On that night after the occurrence of the act, she refused to visit her in his tent and instead went to engage intimately with Wilson that night. When that happens, it is clear that she deliberately chooses to kill her husband. Wilson was disturbed by the fact that he had slept with his client’s wife, he was not sure of what Macomber was capable of doing as a result of the act. Macomber on the other hand was not concerned about that act of intimacy, he knew Margot was less valuable to him and would not leave him. In the conversation that Macomber’s wife and Wilson engage in after the Margot shot his husband, Wilson was trying to find out what actually transpired. Wilson was sure that the act was an intentional act as per the kind of conversation they had upon the death of Macomber.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there exists various theme that proves or can be used to provide the reasons for the consideration of an act by Margot as intentional. Additionally, it is justified that Margot wanted to get rid of his husband Macomber for several reasons. Firstly, he wanted to get rid of him before Macomber took action against himself and left her since he saw her as being less important in his life. In addition, Margot knew she would be left with nothing when divorced, therefore she decided to kill him to inherit the wealth that belonged to his husband. The marriage too was no longer functional, it was unhealthy to the two, Margot believed that it was full of secrecy and would not know what steps Macomber would take after some of the actions she did like engaging in an intimate relationship with Wilson. Additionally, Wilson organized the scenario in a manner that facilitated the killing, Wilson made sure that he left a small gun in the car where it could be accessible by Margot.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” 1936. Literature: Craft and Voice 1(1953).

Knodt, Ellen Andrews. “What If It’s the Mannlicher?: A Letter Complicates the Ending of” The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”.” The Hemingway Review 38.2 (2019): pp.87-92.

Spencer et al., “Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Mathematical Proof of the Unequivocal Guilt of Margot Macomber in Ernest Hemingway’s The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” The Explicator 76.4 (2018): pp.179-182. Web.

Subekti et al., “Symbolism in Hemingway’s The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.” Journal of English Teaching, Applied Linguistics and Literatures (JETALL) 4.2: pp.83-92.

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“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Hemingway

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