Comparing Storyteller And The Short Happy Life Of Francis Macomber

Maxwell Maltz, author of a novel that explains how one can improve their self image, writes, “You will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be.” How a person acts is directly related to the level of self esteem they have. It is natural that a person with vanity carries themselves more confidently and is more assertive, whereas a lack of dignity negatively affects their attitude and outlook. Our impressions of ourselves are perplexed by daily comparisons to those surrounding us. I Stand Here Ironing, The Storyteller, and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber all provide a character that relates how they act due to their morale. Appearing differently than everyone else is only one way a person could belittle himself. Tillie …show more content…
Francis’s wife, Margot, in the short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber controls her husband for a majority of the story. Author Ernest Hemingway claims, “They govern, of course, and to govern one has to be cruel sometimes.” (Hemingway, 5). Margot blatantly believes herself to be much more powerful and dominant than Francis, especially when it comes to the way their marriage is handled. These traits determine her cruelty towards him, as she knows well that he is too cowardly to fight against her control. Furthermore, his also leads to her actions that she would not do if she was not the authoritative one of the two. “While they sat there his wife had reached forward and put her hand on Wilson’s shoulder. He turned and she had leaned forward over the low seat and kissed him on the mouth.” (Hemingway, 10). Margot’s rash actions emphasizes her opinion of herself and further contrasts the differences between her and Francis. While she tends to be assertive and reactive, Francis remains silent in times like these. It is likely Margot only thinks so highly of herself because Francis thinks lowly of himself. The two characters serve as foils. Without Francis to accentuate her puissance, Margot would not be nearly as confident and therefore, her attitude towards not only Francis but a majority of people would be different. In a like way, Margot displays recklessness due to believing that no matter what she …show more content…
In The Storyteller, sisters Basia and Minka face tensions regularly due to this. The author of the novel, Jodi Picoult reveals, “My sister, who had always been a little jealous of the premium placed on my intelligence, pretended to be upset, but I knew deep down that she was happy that finally I would have to work a trade, just like her.” (Picoult, 198). Basia’s jealousy of her younger sister causes her to think selfishly when Minka misses out on an opportunity. Envy is often dependent on one’s insecurities, and therefore relates back to how Basia must see herself in comparison to Minka. The jealousy of her sister’s intelligence pushes Basia to prove that she’s better than to ask for help. Similarly, like Margot, Basia does not find her pride compromisable except on scarce occasions. “It was rare for Basia to admit she needed anything from me, much less my intelligence.” (Picoult, 209). Picoult highlights the fact that Basia is influenced by Minka’s intellect antagonistically. Sisterly competition involving both Minka and Basia is not a one time occurrence. For instance, Minka bitterly refers to Basia’s husband as a boy who she was in love was since she was Minka’s age. (Picoult, 199). The spitefulness can be explained by Minka’s own wishes for a boy to fall in love with. Both sisters are envious of what each other has, leading to direct comparisons made between the two, even if it is done