In the short story by Ernest Hemingway, The Short happy Life of Francis Macomber, Francis Macomber has been portrayed to be a man of shortcomings, specifically a coward. Not only is he outwardly named a coward, he is as a result emasculated by his wife, Margot, and a hired hunter, Wilson, who have their own definitions of how a man should behave. Many readers take the surfaced perspective of what this story represents, the perspective that men are to be manly, hunt, boss their wives around, and not have emotions and if they don’t comply to this standard they are not men. What this perspective fails to identify are the alternative ways that a male can exhibit manliness. Francis Macomber is already a man: biologically, identifiably, and Characteristically;
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Macomber is a well-rounded, humble, and honest man, and not to mention a respectful husband. Many women today would love to have a man like Macomber who, “was very tall, very well built” “and was considered handsome. He was dressed in the same sort of safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new, he was thirty-five years old, kept himself very fit, was good at court games, had a number of big-game fishing records” (4). What is there not to like about Macomber as a man, he keeps himself in a desirable condition, “fit” and is “good at court games” and has an interest, along with a winning record in “big-game fishing”. There is an expectation that a man worthy of dating a woman is to be tall and Macomber very well is “tall”. Not only is Macomber physically an attractive man, tall and athletic, he is rich, sporting “safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new”. if you didn’t know anything about Francis Macomber, other than his outward appearance and hobbies, you would categorize him as a man, more than likely a rich, “handsome”, “well built”, “fit” man who exudes manliness through “court games” and “big-game fishing”. Not only is Macomber Physically and attractive man who displays masculinity through sports he is also
Macomber is a well-rounded, humble, and honest man, and not to mention a respectful husband. Many women today would love to have a man like Macomber who, “was very tall, very well built” “and was considered handsome. He was dressed in the same sort of safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new, he was thirty-five years old, kept himself very fit, was good at court games, had a number of big-game fishing records” (4). What is there not to like about Macomber as a man, he keeps himself in a desirable condition, “fit” and is “good at court games” and has an interest, along with a winning record in “big-game fishing”. There is an expectation that a man worthy of dating a woman is to be tall and Macomber very well is “tall”. Not only is Macomber physically an attractive man, tall and athletic, he is rich, sporting “safari clothes that Wilson wore except that his were new”. if you didn’t know anything about Francis Macomber, other than his outward appearance and hobbies, you would categorize him as a man, more than likely a rich, “handsome”, “well built”, “fit” man who exudes manliness through “court games” and “big-game fishing”. Not only is Macomber Physically and attractive man who displays masculinity through sports he is also