Would you rather?
In Hemingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” the narrative ends not just with a bang (!), but a bang that leads to questions and uncertainties which never get resolved or answered. The information we acquire in the closing paragraphs of the narrative only increases the ambiguity surrounding Margot’s motives for firing the rifle in the middle of a buffalo hunt she wasn’t actively participating in. Even though the narrative perspective adopts Margot’s point of view at earlier moments, it doesn’t offer such access or potential insight into her thoughts or feelings here. Consequently, we’re left with only her outward behavior and little more than shock, insinuation, and unsettling questions.
As a reader, would you rather know what motivated Margot to fire the rifle, and thereby gain some clarity about the circumstances surrounding Francis’s death, or not?
Compose a 2-4 paragraph response in which you answer to the above question and discuss your thoughts and reasons. Make sure to discuss how/why knowing Margot’s motivations would create a more or less satisfying reading experience for you.
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