Ten Indians
"Ten Indians" is a short story by American writer Ernest Hemingway, featuring protagonist Nick Adams, Hemingway's autobiographical alter ego.[1] It was published in 1927 in the collection Men Without Women.[2] The title is derived from a comment made by Mr. Garner - "That makes nine of them" - after moving an Indian (Native American) who had passed out on the road. The title also alludes to the 1864 children's song, Ten Little Indians.[3]
Plot summary
Set in North Michigan on the Fourth of July it features Nick Adams as he is travelling home with Joe Garner and their family in a large wagon. They pass nine drunk Indians and then Joe Garner has to stop and pull a drunk Indian out of the road. The Garners joke about the state of the Indians, and the two sons also disparage Nick's Indian girlfriend Pru and that she smells like a skunk. Nick feels uncomfortable and denies that she is his girlfriend.
When Nick returns home from the Garners his father says that today he saw Pru in the woods with a man called Frank Washburn. His father said that they seemed happy and that they 'thrashed about' in the woods. Nick starts to cry. That next morning Nick takes a while to remember the heartbreak.
Analysis
By depicting a large group of drunken Indians the story reinforces common racial prejudices against Native Americans.[4] Nick feels unable to challenge the Garners views.[5] Nick's father is also unhappy about Nick's relationship with Pru, it is also implied that he lied to his son about Pru 'thrashing about' with Frank.[6]
References
- ^ Bloom's Major Literary Characters: Nick Adams MLC Series, Infobase Publishing, 2009] Retrieved 28/9/2022.
- ^ A Note on Ernest Hemingway's 'Ten Indians' and William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury' Retrieved 28/9/2022.
- ^ Ten Indians Summary Retrieved 28/9/2022.
- ^ Ten Indians Analysis Retrieved 28/9/2022.
- ^ Ten Indians' and the pleasures of close reading.. The Free Library. 1996 Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Retrieved 28/9/2022.
- ^ Hemingway’s view about discrimination in the short story “Ten Indians” Retrieved 28/9/2022.
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