In Ernest Hemingways The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber the true character which is fit to qualify as the code hero is Francis Macomber. It is not obvious at first considering that in the story Francis is portrayed as a cowardly fearful man, as opposed to the manly and brave Wilson, who seems the perfect character to be the code hero. With the lion hunting incident at the opening of the story, Francis cowards off from the lions roar alone, running to safety in front of his wife, which defies the code by not having acceptable behavior in facing death, while Wilson goes in to face the lion and kills him ravely.
Yet where the theme of the story is concerned, Francis faces a bigger challenge than Wilson can ever imagine. Francis is a cowardly man, not physically, but mainly mentally. He lacks self esteem and belief in his own self, which leads to people stepping all over him, like his wife does. His wife openly cheats on Francis, only because she is convinced that he is too much afraid if she left him, he cant be wanted by another woman. Francis behavior towards her is the root of her observation, he is convinced that he is less than what he is and she underestimates him just the same.
Wilson is a tough an, who bravely earns a living by hunting wild safari animals for rich men who come for hobby and to impress their wives. He is not facing an inner turmoil like Francis, just physical ones that he knows he can handle. He has much esteem, he is positive that he can overcome any challenge that his job brings. For his own hobby, he pleasures the wives of the rich men he works for. In the storys climax, Francis proves to be the character Hemingway uses to fulfill his code hero.
Francis seems not to fit the code in the beginning of the story, for the Hemingway code hero must: avoid death at all costs, which Francis does n a cowardly way that defies the second rule; when in face of death the hero must have acceptable behavior. At the near end of the story, Francis fulfills the code by thinking up in a quick minute, just like the code, is a man of action, he doesnt think before he goes into the bush, he just lives for the moment with excitement.
Francis, as the true Hemingway code hero, goes all his life being a certain way, a cowardly man who is afraid of everything deep inside that intimidates him, he has a life altering experience when his wife cheats on him with the man who intimidates him the most at the moment, Wilson, he decides o be brave and changes his fearful ways, just goes about his way by facing the buffaloes as bravely as can be. At that moment the person who uses him for his discontent in himself, Margot, realizes that he has changed and he will now have the guys to leave her.
The woman who before threatened Francis endlessly when he stood up for himself now is in fear that the cards are turned. Unfortunately for Francis he dies of bravery when his wife mistakenly shoots him in the back of the head, missing the bull charging on to him, trying desperately to save Francis life. A major difference is this in Hemingways two exemplary code eroes, Francis Macomber and Frederic Henry of A Farewell to Arms, Frederic actually lives on to change his ways of thinking and his values.
Francis is a misfortuned man who finally is saved and dies from cowardice by his bravery sprouted from anger and jealousy and intimidation all rolled into one. The short story carried a great moral, how people who are not content with themselves get stepped all over by others. It teaches you that you are what you think you are, its your choice to choose to be content or not content, the catch is that your decision might just change your outcome as it did in Francis.
