Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Essay

In Hemingway’s short story “Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” Hemingway uses the writer’s technique of perspective to show readers the characterization of the three main protagonists in this story. Hemingway creates a multipart claim using perspective as well as dialogue to show readers a pervasive, negative tone carries throughout the story. Wilson, Margaret, and Macomber are characterized by multiple perspectives with multiple traits and negative aspects to their character.

To begin, readers can see how Wilson’s character is developed to be a judgemental, professional person, who later in the story becomes proud on how Macomber grew a backbone and began to speak back to his wife.
Wilson’s judgemental personality can be seens in his internal dialogue. According to Wilson, Macomber is like a child that will stay that way until middle- age. On page 4, he was talking with Macomber, “I’m sorry,” Macomber said and looked at him with his American face that would stay adolescent until it became middle-aged, and Wilson noted his crew-cropped hair, fine eyes only faintly shifty, good nose, thin lips and handsome jaw.” When Mr.Wilson analyzes Macomber on his earlier statement, he concludes that Macomber is like a child that will stay young until he hits middle-age. Wilson also makes mention of some of his other facial features, like
When the narrator is describing him, it mentions that he wore the same clothes as Wilson, but Macomber’s clothes are newer. In the description of Macomber’s “new clothes” readers see that he didn’t take action, risks, or any role in situations that require getting dirty on the hunt. His privileged life with “court games” and only big game fishing also show that he is not the experienced, brave hunter he is trying to portray himself to be. Through the perspective of the narrator, the readers can see why Macomber is viewed as a