The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

One of the primary themes in this story is humankind’s struggle against nature, which is particularly evident in Macomber’s hunts for the lion and the buffalo. 

The story's African safari setting highlights the contrast between safe, constructed spaces and the dangers of the field. After fleeing in fear from a wounded lion, Macomber retreats to the safe space of the camp, where servants provide cool drinks and steaks in a shaded environment. The narration emphasizes the contrast between these two settings: “That night after dinner and a whisky and soda by the fire before going to bed, as [he] lay on his cot with the mosquito bar over him and listened to the night noises it was not all over” (122). He ruminates on his failure to confront the wounded beast but does so while experiencing the luxuries of civilization.

Sounds remind Macomber of the natural world outside his tent, but he is sheltered from them, knowing Wilson and the gun-bearers are nearby. The previous night, his sense of aloneness and fear tormented him, as he heard a roaring lion, “coughing grunts that made it seem just outside the tent” (122). These sounds taunt him, making his “adventure” in Africa feel newly dangerous and real to him before he must face the animal in the wild, away from the trappings of the camp.