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The Short and "Happy" Life of

            In Ernest Hemingway's story " The Short and Happy Life of Francis Macomber", husband and wife Francis and Margaret go on a two-day Safari in Africa. During the two days the two don't get a long with one another and make what could be a great vacation an unpleasant getaway. The whole time is spent arguing with each other about the most childish things; the two can't even agree about disagreeing. It is all too obvious that this couple married for the wrong reasons. Macomber married for looks and Margot for money. .
             Toward the start of the story Francis shot a lion and did not kill it then ran in fear. Which adds to the fact that Francis is not a very manly man, but toward the end he does showed more confidence in himself. Some of the irony comes from the conflict in the story. Most people would think that the conflict is between Margot and Francis in the beginning, or Macomber and Wilson toward the end, but the conflict comes from Francis and himself. There is a hidden battle going on inside Macomber that if you look for you can see. If you just read the first half of this story you would wonder why Francis Macomber short life is happy. It certainly didn't sound very happy with all he has to put up with his wife and going to bed at night knowing that he is not manly enough to shot a lion. Irony comes to mind when I hear "happy" life. We know why is short, but I didn't understand why it would be happy until the end. Hunting was a challenge for Macomber because he is not very macho. He is a small, rich, Englishman; he isn't a big, buff manly king of guy who is what Margot wanted, and maybe Macomber wanted as well. In the introduction to the story Margot asks the waiter for a gimlet but in a way implies that she needs a man who can be manlier and not so cowardly as her husband is. Is that the real issue? .
             With the point of view being limited omniscient it is very easy to see how these two treat each other and what they think of one another.


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