Commentary Indian Camp (Hemingway)

This story introduces the theme of masculinity in these stories. Hemingway

turns a typically female act in a female space into a male-dominated situation.
Although this story is about a childbirth, it focuses on the experience of the
doctor rather than the woman. Plus, instead of a natural childbirth, the baby is
brought into the world by a Caesarian section, which is a surgical procedure.
The woman does not even have a role in such an operation. Instead, this squaw
is held down by the men present as a man takes over the role of child-birthing.
After the birth, Uncle George and Nicks father have a playful, exuberant
camaraderie over the job well done.

In this masculine atmosphere, the suicide of the Indian father, then, seems to
be an example of a man acting in a feminine manner. Nicks father says that he
probably killed himself because he could not stand it. Nicks father could not
think much of this mans courage because he brought his young son to see
what the father could not stand. Nicks father and Uncle George exhibit more
ideal male behavior. Furthermore, Nicks father does not hesitate to examine
the state of the mans body. And, Uncle George, clearly disturbed by the scene,
simply withdraws from company. This kind of stoicism is what Nick's father
seems to want to teach Nick; he does not give Nick long answers to his
questions, and he treats this incident with silence himself. This strong, silent
masculinity reappears throughout the flow of the story.

Also the male role coincidence with the white people, whereas the Indian men
acts in a more female way, but, is this in purpose? Whats the intention of the
author? If we want to know that, more reading need to be taken into account to
discover it.