Essay Indian Camp
While other children go with their dad to work, and watches him fix Mrs. Anderson's sink , Nick goes with his dad to work and finds a dead man. Amazingly enough, this is just one of the things that Nick faces in a very young age.
In Ernest Hemmingway's short story, Indian Camp we hear about a doctor, his son Nick and uncle George. At night time they are going to an Indian camp in Michigan,(P15 L17) to help a woman give birth to a baby. The Indian woman lives in a shanty(P13 L14) and while she is giving birth, her husband is committing suicide.
The doctor, Nick's father, at some points seems to be very care taking of Nick,(P12 L9 , P15 L4, 36) but at the same time it seems like he does not see his son as an equal human. He makes very short and simple sentences when he talks to Nick.(P14 L1,2,3) A single time he seems to be a humorous man,(P15 L21,22,23) but that is only that one time. Most of the time he is this very strict, old fashion father, that has a really traditional relationship with his son. He sees Nick as someone he needs to learn something, rather than someone he really loves.
Nick is the main character in this short story. Even though we do not hear about his inner thoughts, he is the only one where we hear about his feelings (P16 L26). Nick is only a boy, still in the tucking age(P12 L9),but that does not prevent his father from letting him attend a birth. He starts out as being very unknowing, or at least you can say that he only knows what such a young boy is supposed to know.(P16 L4) When the story ends, he has both faced the horrible sight of a dead man and watched a woman give birth. He has learned a lot about life and he feels like he can overcome anything.(P16 L26) While his father is rather harsh Nick is portrayed as kind and innocent. All through the story he is just hoping for the best for everyone.(P14 L9) Hemmingway uses light and dark to describe Nick's development. In the start where he is unknowing it is a dark misty night but when the story ends and he is enlightened, it is a bright morning.(P12 L7,8 , P6 L23)
Uncle George is a quite anonymous person in this history, and due to him rowing in another boat when travelling to the Indian camp, he is not together with the Nick and Nick's father much of the time. As they arrive at the Indian camp he gives some cigars to the local men.(P13 L3) He acts much as an assistant towards the doctor.(P14 L31) End the end Uncle George runs away. There is no direct description of why in the text, but a theory could be that he was the actual father of the child. That would explain why the man killed himself. It must have been an embarrassment, if a white man had come and made your wife pregnant. And it would also explain why he gave the Indians the cigars. To give someone a cigar would seem quite a friendly gesture towards someone you have not met before.
To develop in life you have to face some cruel realities and Nick probably also faced more of these realities than was necessary. So if you should describe Nicks path to become an adult, only using one word. It would be anything but the word easy.
Already have an account? Log In Now
7526