Chloe Leland

ENGL-151-3230

In the short story, Indian Camp by Hemingway the story is about Nick discovering life

and death for the first time making him question what life has in store for himself.

The summary of the story is a white doctor is summoned to help an Indian mother give

birth in her village. A white man brings along his young boy named Nick on this trip as well as

his brother named George. They had to cross a river and tread through the woods to get to the

village. The pregnant women scream in agony for hours and had been for days. Nick asked his

father to make her stop for it was so painful to hear. But Nicks father did nothing to stop the

screaming as he did not hear the screams. The husband of the pregnant women was in the

bunk above them from an axe injure a few pays prior. Nick’s father delivers the baby and cares

for the mother by sewing her up from the caesarian he performed. The doctor boasted to Uncle

George that the operation should go into the medical journal for how outstanding it was done.

Nick had watched the whole birth and had even helped his father with it. After the birth, the

doctor checks on up the husband in the bunk above. When he pulled back the sheets the

husband had his throat sliced from ear to ear with the razor lying on the blanket beside him.

Nick came back into the tent seeing the suicide. Nick's father felt terrible for allowing him to

see the suicide. Uncle George disappears into the night after the suicide. Nick started to ask his

father about death as they headed back to their camping ground.

During the birthing process of the Native American mother Nick helps his father with the

operation. Nick sees the baby being brought into the world by the hands of his father. Anyone

seeing a birth would be alter someone's mentality. Nick is a young and impressionable

adolescent who has now witnessed a painful and messy event. Nick asks his father about the
Chloe Leland
ENGL-151-3230

pregnant Native American screaming in pain and asking him to make it stop. Nick can see how

painful and brutal life can be. He can think about all the pain and suffering he might have to go

through in life. Nick has saw the first stage in life and death cycle and begins to process it in his

mind. As his brain is processing the event one can assume he starts to ask questions about life.

“In an Indian village in the woods Nick has learned what life is all about. That the fact of pain is

the fact will be substantiated as Nick grows older, and his personal outlook on life will be an

attempt to come to grips with this fact” (Burke 5). When Nick realizes that life can be so painful

is taken back and almost is worried about his own life.

In the story you can see how Nick behaves differently from the beginning and to the end. Nick

in the beginning asks questions about where they are going but is shy about it not too curious.

In the end when he asks his father numerous questions about death. Nick askes boldly and is

very curious out of fear. “Nick undergoes a transformation after he witnesses the birth of the

child and the father’s suicide” (Raleigh 7). Nick minds transform and he starts to wonder how

the life and death cycle works. Although his father is not much help talking with Nick about

what life and death means. In the story this is stated, “’Do ladies always have such a hard time

having babies?’ Nick asked. ‘No, that was very, very exceptional.’ ‘Why did he kill himself,

Daddy?’ ‘I don't know, Nick. He couldn't stand things, I guess’” (Hemmingway 3). Nick’s father

doesn’t help Nick process what he had just gone through. Merely Nick’s father just gives Nick

short meaningless answers leaving him to guess. One might even think maybe his father

doesn’t know the answer to Nick’s questions.

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ENGL-151-3230

Nick started to truly begin to wonder what life had in store for himself when he saw the suicide

of the Native American man in the bunk. It formed a new fear in Nick about death and what

happens when it’s his turn to tango with death. “His fear is revealed as he asks his father, ‘Do

many men kill themselves, daddy?’ and ‘Is dying hard, daddy?’” (Arthur 12). When Nick asked

his father questions about death and the suicide; They are rather very self-reflection questions.

Nick is contemplating about; will he kill himself? Or perhaps his father? Maybe even his Uncle

George. Then if Nick is thinks about how even if he doesn’t kill himself. He will have to die at

one point in this short life. “His father's concise, often masked answers are just enough to

inspire Nick to form...bold thoughts. This initial response to a horrific and traumatic experience

shows maturity and an ability to handle intense situations” (Thorsby 17). Again, his father is no

help in offering guidance for Nick's questioning mind. So, Nick is left to pounder for his own

answers about death.

Nick goes through a huge transformation throughout the story. Nick discovers life and death in

the events that he saw which makes him question what life and death have instore for him.

When he sees the birth of the Native American woman that is where he starts to question what

life is about. Like, what does life have in store for me when I get older? Then when Nick catches

sight of the suicide of the Native American man he truly established questions about life and

death. For example, is dying hard? He even forms a new fear of death because Nick does not

want to die. Although his father is no help in guiding him of these answers and is left to answer

them for himself.

Chloe Leland
ENGL-151-3230