Who killed Francis Macomber, by Hemingway.

"Mrs. Macomber, in the car, had shot at the buffalo with the 6.5 Mannlicher as it seemed about to gore Macomber and had hit her husband about two inches up and a little to one side of the base of his skull" (28), but what makes a wife shot her husband? In the story "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" by Ernest Hemingway, one of the most scandalous moments occurs when Mrs. Macomber shoots her husband, Francis, leaving the reader to ponder upon if the murder was intentional. Throughout the story, Hemingway leaves a few subtle clues to the murder of Francis. Margot saw many negative qualities in Francis, living in a fake marriage, finding another man, and having an easy cover-up story were all motives for Margot to commit murder.

One trait that really annoyed Margot was learning that her husband was a coward. After the lion incident the mood of the story changed dramatically from a happy safari adventure to one bad trip.

Francis Birtles in the driver's seat of the 'Sundo...

American author Ernest Hemingway poses with kudu a...

FRANCIS TUIGAMALA

"The next thing he knew he was running; running wildly, in panic in the open, running toward the stream...Macomber's wife had not looked at him nor he at her and he had sat by her in the back seat"(17). The reader can almost feel the uncomfortable tension between the two. Margot, being so embarrassed with Francis did not speak nor look at him for the rest of the car ride back to camp. Feeling such embarrassment toward her husband was another fuel that fueled her motives towards killing Francis.

Another reason why the murder was no accident comes from the shaky marriage that the Macomber's were living in from the start of the story. Throughout the story, their relationship is turbulent; neither one being suitable for the other. "Margot was too...