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Research Essay On "Indian Camp" By Ernest Hemingway

My dissusions board

1- In analyzing "Indian Camp", Philip Sipiora says that the style was direct and minimal. The Indian characters in the story did not have names; the story does not provide much detail about the setting to let the reader knows what is the name of places in the "Indian Camp" which refers to the details in the story that were not given. Nick was the main character in the story but Sipiora did not describe him; instead he started the story by Nick and his father entered the boat with a very plain style without giving any intro to the story or details who is Nick or his father and how the readers must keep reading to search in the text to any details that will lead them to know who are these characters; where do they live, how old are they, and if Nick has a mother or any siblings. "Sipiora" did not find an explanation of mentioning other characters such as “Uncle George” without giving any description to his role in the story and all was mentioned that he smokes, and he hates Indians due his action in the story because when the Indian woman bit him he replied "Damn Squaw bitch" which explains that first he did not respect the Indian woman and did not care about what she was going through. Also, the dialogue in the story was short and I did not feel Sipiora gave well explanation to the charterers in the story and details about them were too short. The style of the story was sensational. Nick witnessed birth and death and he learned throughout this experience a lot of things which explains why he was asking his father about life. Also, how cold-hearted the father was towards the Indian lady and how he did not care about her because she was screaming from pain due, he saw that happened before because he is a physician and he controlled the situation by staying calm. Furthermore, we knew about the Indians based on their actions the Indian lady was giving a birth and the father suicide, the reader did not know what they do for living, who are they, and what their names. The Plot of the story was very plain and straight forward about death and pain and how Nick will develop or growth throughout this experience to a different person which made him wonder and ask questions about life to his father what he witnessed. The story “Indian Camp” was written in a third-party point of view; the narrator drew a positive picture of Nick to the reader, which makes the readers sympathize with Nick. There is more than one theme in “Indian Camp” such as Nick’s development, the treatment of the Native Americans, and portrait of Indians. Sipiora, claims that the "Hemingway" was writing about Nick in a sympathetically way due he is young and how he is attached to his father. How Nick development throughout the story. There was a lot of actions in the story; such as how the Indians were treated in the story in a discrimination way, the death and birth, and how Nick said in the end of the story “I would never die” due his development from what he experienced in the story.

Second dissusion board

1-The first early expression I got when I was reading “Indian Camp” by Ernest Hemingway was an emotional sad feeling towards the woman who was giving a birth and the man's suicide. Also, how the Hemingway did not give names for the Native Americans characters. Secondly, the the relationship between the father and the son.

2-My observations on the narrative's settings was in a cold weather in a small Indian's village; because first they could not take the Indian woman to the hospital, and secondly, due a bad weather, so Nick's dad "the physician" was forced to do something immediately to save the baby's life. My personal experience that helped me to relate to the physical setting in the story especially in the boat due lack of tools/sources is what happened to me when I was in Italy with friends; we were in a boat and suddenly the boat stopped in the middle of the ocean and the guy who was driving the boat did not know English very well so it was hard to know what was going on. We were stuck there for five hours without having any idea what will happen to us. We did not no have any food, we could not contact anyone, and the weather was too humid.

3- I believe Nick's father was good because he did his best to teach his son about what was happening and Nick needed this lesson because from my perspective Nick's dad did that for his son's benefits in the future, so he can do his best to save someone's life no matter what the circumstances are.

4- Doing the right thing; Although, Nick's father was under pressure; he did what was require to save the woman's baby. Although, there was a lack of tools that he needed to help the woman giving a birth, but he was smart and calm and he used what he found and he succeed with it. I liked how calm the doctor was during all the circumstances that were surrounding him, and how he was explaining everything to Nick and teaching him without showing him that he is stressed or nervous about what was happening.

5- Hemingway portrays the Native Americans as inferior and he was unsympathetic because first he did not give names to them, and he called them the Indians. Also, Hemingway was ignoring that fact of showing any sort of respect towards the Indian lady in the story. When one of the characters in the story said a joke about her and one of the guys laughed without giving any respect towards her. Thus, the writer underestimated Native Americans especially the woman in the story. Finally, I think the reason why the husband chose to suicide because he was badly injured in his foot, and he did not want to live a life suffering from pain.

6- I believe that Nick learned that his father is the only person that he can depend on and where he can feel safe with. After how he saw how the man committed suicide, and he was wondering and asking his father about what death is. How does death feel like? and his conclusion was I "would never die" which means from my perspective that he will never kill himself and also he is protected by his father.

7-My experience about suicide and death can be related to Nick's experiences especially that I lived 4 years in Syria and I have experienced a lot of tragedy of people's death over there and one of them was a close friend of mine. He committed suicide because he lost all his family in an explosion, and he did not find any reason to continue living. I believe no matter what life difficult circumstances are we always must accept it and find a another reason to live and create something that is worth waking up the next day.

8- The elements of the plot for me as a reader was not expected especially how the writer combined death with birth. I believe that Indian Camp is a gruesome story because the way the writer related to an awful thing such as suicide with an amazing moment which is birth, and how the Native Americans were badly treated in the story. I believe Hemingway focused a lot on the main character Nick and the experience that he went through will help him to to grow and develop.

9- The narrator prepared me as a reader for what happened in the story. I do not believe that suicide was foreshadowed especially after all the struggle the husband was suffering from especially after the wife delivered the baby which must gave him a reason to live instead of suicide. Nick's development was not prepaid at early because he did not face anything that will benefit him until he saw the struggle of the Indian family and how he learned the life is worth way more than death and we should not end our lives, but we must live and help anyone who needs help.

10- The final thought of Nick was not expected although the experience that he faced changed him because no one can live forever, but my analysis to the sentence Nick said, "I would never die", is that living worth way more than death especially that he saw both of them and this is what made him said that by meaning he will never committed suicide.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “Indian Camp.” Reading and Writing about Literature, 2nd ed. Ed. Phillip Sipiora. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2002: 28-31.

Third Disscusion board

1-In John Cohassey’s article, “Hemingway ‘Last Good Country,” The main idea was how Hemingway is inspired by northern Michigan. Cohassey describes Hemingway great memories in northern Michigan; started from the woods Hemingway broke openly with his parents and how he has an interest in writing, sex, and alcohol. Cohassey was describing how Hemingway had a wildlife and he used to write stories about Micihgan and how true it was for him. Cohassey refers to “Last Good Country” as the hometown of Hemingway “Michigan” where he grew up and he described how Hemingway feels about it; when he wrote Bill Smith a letter that says, “The country has hold on me as ever,”

2- The experiences Hemingway had in northern Michigan was visiting the Indian camp and how he was exposed to Native Americans and their poverty. Also, Hemingway experienced a game called “Hiwatha Indian Play” one of the most captivating native American. Hemingway liked the game, so when he went back to his school; he wrote an unpublished “passion play,” “No Worst than a Bad Cold,” based upon the Hiwatha Indian play and Native Americans he met.

3- According to Cohassey, during Hemingway adult life northern Michigan had a big influence on Hemingway’s path because it influences him to become a great writer by the experiences he had throughout his life in northern Michigan. In 1919 Hemingway returned to Michigan after he got injured in his leg in World War I. Bill Smith one of Heminwagy’s friends inspired Bill Gorton in Hemingway’s piece “The Sun Also Rides”. Hemingway found a new interesting habit that he enjoyed which is finishing by the river with two friends. This experience helped him wrote “Big Two-Hearted River” which the name refers to Fox and Little Fox rivers. Also, when Hemingway closed up Windermere in 1919. He stayed with Jim and Elizabeth Dilworth in Horton Bay. Hemingway liked “Aunty Beth” cooking and the delicious food she used to make specially the 50 cents chicken, fresh bread, dessert, and the vegetables which helped him to read and write during his time there.

4- Cohassey explain Hemigway’s experience with Native American in northern Michigan such as the Indian Camp and the Hiwathi Indian Play influenced him to create the character Adams, Nick. Cohassey mentioned that Hemingway’s sister Madelaine “Sunny”, said that she “loved” the smell of the Indian Camp, which Hemingway’s fictional character Nick Adams describes as a “sick sweet smell.” Which explains Hemingway relationship to Native Americans and how he connects it to the fictional character he creates “Nick Adams”

5- Cohassey claims that Hemingway’s father “the physician” does not charge the locals of the Indian Camp which is connected to the same scenario in the “Indian Camp” when Nick’s father helped the Indian lady during labor to deliver the baby. Also, the exceptions from parents toward their sons; Nick’s father is expected his son to go to college and be like him a physician, and Hemingway’s parents are expecting Hemingway to go to college and finish his education which in both situations; Hemingway and Nick chose similar path in the stories. Also, situations similarities from what happened to Nick in the "Indian Camp" when he was young and he witnessed the Indian tragedy family death and birth to Hemingway in "Hemingway's 'Last Good Country'" who witnessed their poverty and happiness moments such as the game he played "Hiwathi Indian Play".

Works Cited

Cohassey, John. "Hemingway's 'Last Good Country.'" Detroit Metro Times. 7 July 2010.

Hemingway, Ernest. “Indian Camp.” Reading and Writing about Literature, 2nd ed. Ed. Phillip Sipiora. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2002: 28-31. Print.