Indian Camp
"He felt quite sure that he would never die."
The Story
In "Indian Camp," a doctor brings his son Nick along to help him perform an emergency C-section on a Native American woman. The problem? Because they are on a fishing trip, they have no supplies so the doctor must improvise with a jackknife and fishing line leaders. The story was originally published in Hemingway's short story collection In Our Time in 1925.
Questions to consider
For what purpose does the doctor bring his son along? Is that purpose successful in the end? How do the Hemingway code hero qualities show up? How are men and women portrayed? How are the white Americans portrayed?
Michigan, USA
Outdoorsman
Although Hemingway grew up in Illinois, his father brought him to their lake cabin in Northern Michigan during the summers, where the boy learned to hunt and fish.
Hemingway Hero
What are all the ways the Hemingway hero qualities show up in "Indian Camp"? Click below to read more about what makes a character a "Hemingway Code Hero."
Styx, anyone?
If being ferried across a dark, misty lake didn't cue you, check out this article that explores the mythological interpretation of "Indian Camp." (It's in the first few paragraphs)