Throughout Hemingway’s life there have been many instances or experiences that have shaped his moral code. He lived through World War I which exposed him to a different side of mankind, that shapes his views. His code is formed from his influences that is portrayed in his literary pieces. He believed that a worthy man has to meet specific requirements in to life , His writings such as The Old Man in Sea and “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” illustrate that characters should live by principles they value and also in what Hemingway believed to be a true man such as being a man of action rather than word. In The Old Man in the Sea, Santiago is an old man that focuses on finding a balanced way of living while maintaining his pride. …show more content…
He is forced to face reality when he realizes how hard it will be to catch the biggest fish ever to get caught on his line. Santiago believed that complaining will not make things better worse. Even though this was the “tiredest that I have ever been” (89) he seldom complained or showed weakness. He endured pain that people should never have to face and showed courage when things are difficult. Self-pity did not exist in his world because he knew that although he could do some things I can do,”There are plenty of things I can do” (45). Unlike others Santiago was not blessed with a “lucky boat or having enough to eat but he did not complain or make trouble for others. The old man created meaning in his life through fishing, when the fish is mauled by the sharks after its …show more content…
He can be described as good at hunting, courageous, and self-disciplined. All the characteristics that Wilson displays present him as a well-rounded and masculine man. He demonstrates courage when he hunts especially during the times he has to kill the prey. Usually the animals are very large in size, the fact that he could still persist to hunt shows how much courage he has. Wilson lives by his own laws and actions, he does what he thinks is right and not what is necessarily legal. He shows no remorse or guilt from his actions by casually saying “It’s the illegal if that’s what you mean” (147). His values are strictly restricted to what he believes he should do. For example, sleeping with another mans wife is morally wrong in most people’s perspective but he does it anyways having a his own rule that he only sleeps with women that come to him. Throughout the novel Wilson is consistent with what he thinks is his own personal code which gives him meaning in life. “He has his own standards about the killing and they could live up to them or get someone else to hunt them”, because he did not change his standards for anyone else. Although Wilson is not favored in the list of Hemingway characters he proves himself to live up to being an ideal
In the short story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” Hemingway uses the author’s craft of various perspectives as well as internal and external dialogue to create a multi-part claim that develops an overall negative characterization of Francis Macomber. In the development of Macomber’s character, Hemingway develops his characterization as cowardly, fearful, and confident or brave by using multiple perspectives as he threads a negative tone throughout the story.
They are also the words, which best describe the interaction between Robert Wilson and Francis. Macomber, which describes one of the essential themes of the story. Like a master of etiquette and self-righteous behavior, Hemingway tells us what is done and what isn't done, as he pulls us through his catching story of the acquiring and obtaining of the true code of a man. A code that Hemingway himself followed and which may seem old-fashioned, male chauvinistic and pointless now a day, but which has a profound resemblance to the knightly virtues that were maintained during the Middle Ages. In The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber we meet Francis Macomber who is our protagonist.
To begin with, the old man is determined just as the fish is. When Santiago first hooks the fish, he states, “‘Fish,’ he said softly, aloud, ‘I’ll stay with you until I am dead’” (Hemingway 52). This shows how he will risk his life to prove that he can catch this marlin. Santiago was fixed on catching this fish and ending his bad luck streak. And, as the marlin doesn’t have much of a choice, he will fight until he dies as well. They are both very
Hemingway’s dialogue reveals the difficult nature of a relationship between a man and a woman, as it focusses on incompatibility of their relationship and their different values on abortion. The reader witnesses a deep conflict between them on the issue as the decision will affect both their relationship and the rest of their lives.
Through the characters' dialogue, Hemingway explores the emptiness generated by pleasure-seeking actions. Throughout the beginning of the story, Hemingway describes the trivial topics that the two characters discuss. The debate about the life-changing issue of the woman's ...
Ernest Hemingway was a renowned author for his exploration of masculinity, by the way he acted and portrayed himself in real life and how he expressed his characters in his novels and short stories. Through his characters grappling with war, love, and self-discovery. Hemingway weaves a tapestry of masculinity that reflects both societal ideas and personal struggles. The texts A Farewell to Arms, Soldier’s Home, and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber all represent the portrayal of masculinity, exploring its manifestations, contradictions, and consequences. Across these texts, Hemingway portrays masculinity as multifaceted, often entwined with notions of courage, vulnerability, and disillusionment.
...;The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber ends with Wilson saying, “ ‘I’m though now”, he said,’I was a little angry. I’d begun to like your husband’”(28). What Hemingway is telling us plainly is that Macomber was able to achieve something. His death, although tragic, is not as tragic as Paco’s. As we have said many times in class, Hemingway knows death does indeed come for everyone. From short stories like The Killers to novels like For Whom The Bell Tolls, death can almost even be described as a reoccurring character in Hemingway’s work. However death impact is weighed by comparing it to life. For Macomber, death came at his highest point. He went down like man. Paco however, lost his life before he could lose his innocence. He was not even given the chance to live. And that is what Hemingway thinks is all the more tragic. To die not like a man, but a boy.
Earnest Hemingway’s work gives a glimpse of how people deal with their problems in society. He conveys his own characteristics through his simple and “iceberg” writing style, his male characters’ constant urge to prove their masculinity.
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 protagonist in this story. Hemingway creates a multi-part claim using perspective as well as dialogue to show readers a pervasive, negative tone carried throughout the story. Wilson, Margaret, and Macomber are characterized by multiple perspectives with multiple traits and negative aspects to their characters. Throughout this short story, readers can clearly see how the character Wilson is presented as a judgmental person who then becomes a person with a deep profession to someone who seems to have changed as far as their characteristics and actions toward others.
Moderation is fully evident in Hemingway’s characters. Santiago, the protagonist of The Old Man and the Sea, firmly balances two contrasting qualities - his humility and pride. Santiago reveals his humble nature when Manolin asserts that he is the best fisherman to which Santiago replies “No. I know others better.” (The Old Man and the Sea 23). Meanwhile Santiago’s attempt to capture the fish and prove that he is a capable man despite his old age signifies that he retains a certain level of pride for his masculinity. Humility is the antithesis of pride, yet, the old man has the ability to retain both through moderation. Emotions are not the only characteristics to be moderated; actions as well as speech must be balanced. In “Indian Camp”, the father explains a mature topic –the act of givin...
First, the old man receives outer success by earning the respect and appreciation of the boy and the other fishermen. The boy is speaking to the old man in his shack after the old man’s long journey, “You must get well fast for there is much that I can learn and you can teach me everything” (Hemmingway 126). The boy appreciates the fact that the old man spends time to teach him about fishing. He respects him a great deal for he knows that the old man is very wise and is a magnificent fisherman. The fellow fishermen also show respect towards the old man as they note the size of the fish after the old man returns home, “What a fish it was, there has never been such a fish” (123). The men admire the fact that the old man has caught the biggest fish that they have seen. Many fishermen resented Santiago at first, however their opinion changed once they realized what the old man has gone through. Being admired by others plays a major role in improving one’s morale.
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man’s strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a tale about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the “Old Man and the Sea” strives to teach important life lessons to the reader.
Ernest Hemingway is a world renowned writer who is known for his short and to-the-point yet unique style. While being greatly praised for his style he is also greatly criticized for it as well. His body of work includes numerous poems, short stories, and various novels as well. He even won the Nobel Prize in Literature for his story “The Old Man and the Sea.” The panelists awarded him for his overall mastery of the English language and for his modern unique way of narrating.
As it can clearly be seen, Earnest Hemingway has reflected his life throughout his works. This outlet of expression has proven to be worth the time and effort he had put forward in crafting these stories. It is unfortunate that factors such as human suffering as well as intimate harm were present in Hemingway's life, but it is thanks to those themes that such great works came about. In the short stories "Indian Camp," "The Old Man at the Bridge," and "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway has proven that he was indeed the voice of his generation and has crafted a path for future authors and writers to write in a similar manner and style.