Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber
Modernism has its origins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and it is characterized by a break with traditional styles of norms and rules. Modernism experiments with literary form and expression, and it is driven by a desire to overturn traditional modes of representation, and express new topics and sensibilities of their time. In the short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” we hear about man versus nature, and we are being presented to the literary techniques of the modern era - for example the iceberg method. In the following I will focus on elements, such as a characterization of Margaret and Francis Macomber and Wilson, a comparison between Francis Macomber and Robert Wilson, and the end. The short story “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” takes place in Africa where we meet the couple Francis and Margaret Macomber, and the white hunter Robert Wilson. Francis is a very wealthy man that has chosen to go to Africa for hunting to become more of a man. He is a very tall, well built person with his hair cropped like an oarsman, thin-lipped; overall a handsome man. He is a fine gentleman from England, who has been married to Margaret for eleven years. Their marriage is not very well functioning and they go through a lot of arguments and disagreements, throughout the story. There is a very critical point where Francis wakes up in the middle of the night, and realizes his wife is not sleeping next to him. He lies awake for two hours until she finally returns. “Where have you been?” Macomber asked in the darkness” ….“I just went out to get a breath of fresh air.” … That’s a new name for it. You are a bitch.” “Well, you’re a coward.” (page 13, line 25,28, 33 and 34). When Margaret returns, Francis is well aware of where she has been. He is mad at her, and he wants her to stop cheating and be a better wife. Margaret is a beautiful and well-kept woman, who had a few years before been a
Modernism has its origins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and it is characterized by a break with traditional styles of norms and rules. Modernism experiments with literary form and expression, and it is driven by a desire to overturn traditional modes of representation, and express new topics and sensibilities of their time. In the short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” we hear about man versus nature, and we are being presented to the literary techniques of the modern era - for example the iceberg method. In the following I will focus on elements, such as a characterization of Margaret and Francis Macomber and Wilson, a comparison between Francis Macomber and Robert Wilson, and the end. The short story “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” takes place in Africa where we meet the couple Francis and Margaret Macomber, and the white hunter Robert Wilson. Francis is a very wealthy man that has chosen to go to Africa for hunting to become more of a man. He is a very tall, well built person with his hair cropped like an oarsman, thin-lipped; overall a handsome man. He is a fine gentleman from England, who has been married to Margaret for eleven years. Their marriage is not very well functioning and they go through a lot of arguments and disagreements, throughout the story. There is a very critical point where Francis wakes up in the middle of the night, and realizes his wife is not sleeping next to him. He lies awake for two hours until she finally returns. “Where have you been?” Macomber asked in the darkness” ….“I just went out to get a breath of fresh air.” … That’s a new name for it. You are a bitch.” “Well, you’re a coward.” (page 13, line 25,28, 33 and 34). When Margaret returns, Francis is well aware of where she has been. He is mad at her, and he wants her to stop cheating and be a better wife. Margaret is a beautiful and well-kept woman, who had a few years before been a