Light, Snow, and Whiteness in “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”

One wonders how different “The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber” would be if the hunting expedition had been led by a black African rather than by a British white hunter. The story, and its critics, seem to need Robert Wilson badly. He stands alongside Jake Barnes and Robert Jordan as the iconic code hero, one who performs bravely, shows grace under pressure, and initiates a naive Francis Macomber into the world of manhood. A long line of critics have adopted the basic position outlined by Philip Young, who held that “Macomber, a frightened man, is seen in the story learning the code from Wilson, his professional hunting guide. He is presented as being very ignorant at first, but he painfully learns and he becomes a man in the process” (Ernest Hemingway: A Reconsideration 116).1