Analysis of Violence Theme in Hemingway's Short Story Macomber

This essay analyzes the theme of violence in Ernest Hemingway's 'The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,' highlighting its manifestations in the treatment of animals and interpersonal relationships. The essay discusses how violence is perpetrated on animals, causing them suffering, and explores the implicit and explicit instances of human violence, both physical and psychological, within the story. It examines the characters' attitudes toward violence, particularly Wilson's acceptance of it as a norm in Africa and Margot's use of verbal attacks. The analysis reveals how the story uses violence to explore themes of power, dominance, and the shifting dynamics between characters, particularly in the context of hunting and social interactions. The essay concludes by emphasizing the pervasive nature of violence within the narrative and its impact on the characters' lives.

Running head: VIOLENCE
Violence
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1VIOLENCE
“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is the name of the short story that has
been written by Ernest Hemingway. The setting of the story is in Africa and violence is an
important aspect of the story. This story throws light on the theme of the violence within the
story.
The violence is perpetrated on the animals of The Short Happy Life of Francis
Macomber. The story talks about the effect of the violence on the animals and the pain that
the animals have to face in the event of the slow death. Ernest Hemingway has tried to
convey the fact that the animals should not suffer and the hunters have the responsibility of
putting the animals out of the state of the misery (Knodt, 2019). The story also shows the
incidences of the human violence that is both physical and the psychological. The servants
are threatened that they would be beaten that reveals evidence of the theme of violence in the
story. The violence is implicit in the following lines of the story,
“Do you still have them whipped?"
"Oh, yes. They could raise a row if they chose to complain. But they don't. They prefer it to
the fines." (Hemingway, 1977).
Wilson has tried to convey the fact that people have a different kind of rules in Africa.
Violence is an important part of the life within Africa and the men do not fear the aspect of
the violence as in the world of Macomber. In the words of Wilson, the people should be
whipped instead of losing the money.
Wilson thinks of the fact that Macomber can put a bullet in his head. Margot on the
other hand is involved in tormenting Macomber and finally he is shot like that of a beast
within the field.
Violence can be seen in the following lines of the story:

2VIOLENCE
"I've dropped the whole thing," she said, sitting down at the table. "What importance is there
to whether Francis is any good at killing lions? That's not his trade. That's Mr. Wilson's trade.
Mr. Wilson is really very impressive killing anything. You do kill anything, don't you?"
(Hemingway, 1977).
These lines help in revealing that Margot is a strong lady. She attacks her husband by
making use of one quick remark and she does not let Wilson escape. She however
participates in system by punishing the personality of Macomber in the event of Macomber
failing to perform.
Situation of hunter along with the hunted has more significance than the humans in
the story hunting for that of the African lions. The character of Wilson does not abide by any
kind of the conventional rules pertaining to the hunting game at the time of the safaris
(Hediger, 2016). Wilson thinks that it is more dangerous to chase the games at that of the
high speed that talks about the concept of the violence embedded in the short story.
The animals in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber have to suffer the effect
of violence and they suffer from pain in event of dying a slow death. The human violence can
be physical and it can also be psychological. The servants in the short story are told that they
would be beaten that talks about the theme of the violence in the story.

3VIOLENCE
References
Hediger, R. (2016). Becoming with Animals: Sympoiesis and the Ecology of Meaning in
London and Hemingway. Studies in American Naturalism, 11(1), 5-22.
Hemingway, E. (1977). The Short Happy Life of J; irancis Macomber.
Knodt, E. A. (2019). What If It's the Mannlicher?: A Letter Complicates the Ending of" The
Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber". The Hemingway Review, 38(2), 87-92.