The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Essay

Words: 776
Pages: 4
Open Document
Existential Happiness in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber”

Ernest Hemingway is often known for his rather pessimistic and depressing stories and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is no exception. Throughout the story there are clear examples of existentialism and nihilism “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is oftentimes described as one of Ernest Hemingway’s classic coming-of-ages stories, but in reality it is an exploration in existentialism and happiness.

Existentialism is, in the simplistic terms, the idea that humans are always searching for the meaning of life and a sense of self. Hemingway employs existentialism in many his stories, but he focuses on the search for happiness in “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” When the reader first meets the main character, Francis Macomber, he is described only as a coward. Macomber is simply going through the motions of life …show more content…
It is left unanswered if Margaret intended to kill her husband or the buffalo. ADD SOMETHING HERE Throughout most of his life Macomber lived in fear and cowardice, which never allowed him to live a happy life. Yet Macomber always seemed as if he was trying to make himself happy and reach the point in his life where he was content. Which he was only able to experience this satisfaction for a brief seconds.

Hemingway's “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is revealed to be a perfect example of existentialism in that it displays Francis Macomber searching for the good in his life. He find that the problems in his life are caused by his lack of bravery. As a result Macomber works at being more brave and less of coward to please is adulterous wife. When Macomber finally achieves his goal and knows true happiness he is shot and killed by one of the driving forces that lead him to the safari hunt.
In conclusion, existentialism is a belief that even though there are many challenges in
Show More

Related Documents: The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Essay

The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber Cause By A Cruel Woman Essay

Critical Analysis #1 “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” Ended by a Cruel Woman In the short story, “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by Ernest Hemingway, Hemingway creates suspense by starting the short story in the present and then presenting a flashback that causes great unrest and conflict between the characters. The main conflict between Francis Macomber and his wife foreshadows the ending of the story and provides suspense as to the lengths Macomber will strive to prove to his…

Words 882 - Pages 4

Essay on Joshua Connaught

Based Claim Essay The story by Hemingway named “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber “shows many claims that can be proven through the many details presented in the story.Fransis Macomber in the story is called a coward after the incident with a lion.Fransis was shooting the lion and only wounded it. The lion ended up running into some tall grass.Fransis and his colleagues went after the lion, and it ended up charging at the men. But instead of staying and shooting the lion, Francis runs away in…

Words 814 - Pages 4

Critical Essay

R d i n g • 21 “he haD neveR wRiTTen a woRD oF ThaT”: RegReT anD coUnTeRFacTUals in hemingway’s “The snows oF KilimanJaRo” JENNIFER RIDDLE HARDING Washington and Jefferson College ERNEST HEMINGWAY IS KNOWN—AT TIMES EvEN PARODIED— FOR SHORT STORIES that rely heavily on dialogue interspersed with clipped narrative reports offering little evaluation or interpretation. This style is prominent in some of his best-known stories, such as “The Killers,” “A Clean, WellLighted Place,” and “Hills…

Words 6670 - Pages 27