My first impressions of Hemingway were how simple of a language he wrote his short stories. They were easy and interesting to read. It was almost as if the stories just flowed along like the boat they road in to see the pregnant woman. And yet, when I finished the story, Indian Camp. I was left with a lot to think about. While the diction was simple, the story was not.

Within the first few paragraphs, Nick asks where they are going. He received the   the reply to help a sick woman.  And yet, the person who died at the end of the story was a man.

While we only see a small window into the lives of the characters, it is easy to see the doctor does his best with the limited supplies he has. The boy is of curious nature. It was easy to see that the Indian family was going through a lot. With the husband hurt and in bed, the wife pregnant, and the unfortunate state of the house, it wasn’t an easy time.

And yet for many the highlight of a lifetime is welcoming a new baby into the family.  For Uncle George it was the end and he couldn’t take it anymore. He committed suicide, probably right after the baby was born.  We can only guess his reasons.

And while I don’t quite know what to think about this story, I am left thinking. I think about my family. I think about the joys we have together, and the problems we have had in the past seem so unimportant.

Source: https://genius.com/Ernest-hemingway-indian-camp-annotated