The Killers (short story)
Encyclopedia
'"The Killers"' is a short story
by Ernest Hemingway
. It first appeared to the public in 1927 in Scribner's Magazine
. How much Hemingway received for the literary piece is unknown, but some sources state it was $200. Historians have some documents showing that the working title of the piece was "The Matadors". After its appearance in Scribner's, the story was published in Men Without Women, Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Nick Adams Stories
. The writer's depiction of the human experience, his use of satire
, and the everlasting themes of death, friendship, and the purpose of life have contributed to make "The Killers" one of Hemingway's most famous and frequently anthologized short stories.
The story features Nick Adams
, a famous Hemingway character from his short stories. In this story, Hemingway shows Adams crossing over from teenager to adult. The basic plot of the story involves a pair of criminals that enter a restaurant seeking to kill a boxer
, a Swede named Ole Andreson, who is hiding out for reasons unknown (probably for not cooperating with the proposed rigging of a fight).
In 1984, the anthology Hemingway at Oak Park High was published by Oak Park and River Forest High School
, and included short works that Hemingway had written for his school newspaper and literary magazine. One of the stories, "A Matter of Colour", involves the plot of a boxing manager to have a man named Swede hide behind a curtain and hit an opponent during a bout. Swede somehow fails, and in retaliation, the boxing manager puts out a contract on his life.
. Chicago was the home of Al Capone
. Hemingway himself had spent time in Chicago as a young man. When things became too dangerous for the mob they would retreat to the suburb of Summit, where "The Killers" takes place. Despite Hemingway's knowledge of organized crime he omitted much of that background from the story. Hemingway himself said, "That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words."
"The Killers" fit within this style in many ways. There is nothing extraordinary about the story. It is, in plain sense, simple. There is hardly any plot, virtually no character development, and very little description of the setting in the story. Hemingway also gives an objective view to the story, an "effaced authorial presence"; his minimalistic approach influenced American writing.
to provide their children with the means to handle the cruelty and meaninglessness of 20th-century America.
Chaos is another theme in "The Killers". The many misrepresentations throughout the story create a plane of chaos for the reader, and dislocation, almost as if it is happening in another world.
Masculinity is the next theme. Although Hemingway is known for the "manly men" in his stories, in "The Killers", the two hit men are comical and clownish men. Hemingway at one point describes them as the "vaudeville
twins".
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
. It first appeared to the public in 1927 in Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
. How much Hemingway received for the literary piece is unknown, but some sources state it was $200. Historians have some documents showing that the working title of the piece was "The Matadors". After its appearance in Scribner's, the story was published in Men Without Women, Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Nick Adams Stories
Nick Adams (character)
Nick Adams is a fictional character, the protagonist of two dozen short stories by American author Ernest Hemingway, written in the 1920s and 30s...
. The writer's depiction of the human experience, his use of satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, and the everlasting themes of death, friendship, and the purpose of life have contributed to make "The Killers" one of Hemingway's most famous and frequently anthologized short stories.
The story features Nick Adams
Nick Adams (character)
Nick Adams is a fictional character, the protagonist of two dozen short stories by American author Ernest Hemingway, written in the 1920s and 30s...
, a famous Hemingway character from his short stories. In this story, Hemingway shows Adams crossing over from teenager to adult. The basic plot of the story involves a pair of criminals that enter a restaurant seeking to kill a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, a Swede named Ole Andreson, who is hiding out for reasons unknown (probably for not cooperating with the proposed rigging of a fight).
In 1984, the anthology Hemingway at Oak Park High was published by Oak Park and River Forest High School
Oak Park and River Forest High School
Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a public four-year high school located in Oak Park, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Oak Park and River Forest District 200....
, and included short works that Hemingway had written for his school newspaper and literary magazine. One of the stories, "A Matter of Colour", involves the plot of a boxing manager to have a man named Swede hide behind a curtain and hit an opponent during a bout. Swede somehow fails, and in retaliation, the boxing manager puts out a contract on his life.
Summary
The story takes place in a suburb of Chicago called Summit during the 1910s. Two hit men, Max and Al, walk into Henry's lunch-room, which is run by George, and order something off the menu that is not available and have to settle for pork and eggs. Al goes into the kitchen and ties up Nick Adams, a recurring character in Hemingway's stories, and Sam the black cook. Max and George soon have a conversation, which reveals that the two men are there to kill Ole Andreson, a Swedish boxer, for a "friend". Andreson never shows, so the two men leave. George sends Nick to Hirsch's boarding house, run by Mrs. Bell, to warn Andreson about the two men. Nick finds Andreson lying in his bed with all of his clothes on. He tells Andreson what has happened. Andreson does not react, except to tell Nick not to do anything, as there is nothing that can be done. Nick leaves, goes back to the lunch-room, and informs George about Ole Andreson's reaction. When George no longer seems concerned, Nick decides to leave town.Historical context
"The Killers" was written in the 1920s when organized crime was at its prime during ProhibitionProhibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
. Chicago was the home of Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
. Hemingway himself had spent time in Chicago as a young man. When things became too dangerous for the mob they would retreat to the suburb of Summit, where "The Killers" takes place. Despite Hemingway's knowledge of organized crime he omitted much of that background from the story. Hemingway himself said, "That story probably had more left out of it than anything I ever wrote. I left out all Chicago, which is hard to do in 2951 words."
Minimalist style in "The Killers"
The basic characteristics of minimalism are:- ordinary subject matter
- effaced authorial presence
- passive and affectless protagonist
- very little plot (in the traditional sense)
- use of historical present tense
- spare, emotionally restrained writing style
"The Killers" fit within this style in many ways. There is nothing extraordinary about the story. It is, in plain sense, simple. There is hardly any plot, virtually no character development, and very little description of the setting in the story. Hemingway also gives an objective view to the story, an "effaced authorial presence"; his minimalistic approach influenced American writing.
Themes within "The Killers"
One theme deals with the failure of the parents of the Lost GenerationLost Generation
The "Lost Generation" is a term used to refer to the generation, actually a cohort, that came of age during World War I. The term was popularized by Ernest Hemingway who used it as one of two contrasting epigraphs for his novel, The Sun Also Rises. In that volume Hemingway credits the phrase to...
to provide their children with the means to handle the cruelty and meaninglessness of 20th-century America.
Chaos is another theme in "The Killers". The many misrepresentations throughout the story create a plane of chaos for the reader, and dislocation, almost as if it is happening in another world.
Masculinity is the next theme. Although Hemingway is known for the "manly men" in his stories, in "The Killers", the two hit men are comical and clownish men. Hemingway at one point describes them as the "vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
twins".
Adaptations
The short story has been the basis for several movies and a comic book short story:- The Killers (1946)The Killers (1946 film)The Killers is a 1946 American film noir directed by Robert Siodmak. It is based in part on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film features Burt Lancaster in his screen debut, as well as Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien, and Sam Levene...
, starring Burt LancasterBurt LancasterBurton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
and Ava GardnerAva GardnerAva Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day... - "The Killers" (1956), a short film directed by Andrei TarkovskyAndrei TarkovskyAndrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky was a Soviet and Russian filmmaker, writer, film editor, film theorist, theatre and opera director, widely regarded as one of the finest filmmakers of the 20th century....
- The Killers (1964)The Killers (1964 film)The Killers, sometimes marketed as Ernest Hemingway's The Killers, is a 1964 crime film released by Universal Studios. It is the second Hollywood adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's short story of the same name, following a version made in 1946 starring Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner. It was directed...
, starring Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
, Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, and Angie DickinsonAngie DickinsonAngie Dickinson is an American actress. She has appeared in more than fifty films, including Rio Bravo, Ocean's Eleven, Dressed to Kill and Pay It Forward, and starred on television as Sergeant Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson on the 1970s crime series Police Woman.-Early life:Dickinson, the second of...
External links
- Ernest Hemingway's "The Killers" A close reading of the classic short story and more
- Vaudeville philosophers: "The Killers". by Ron Berman analyzes the roots of the story's dialogue in vaudeville.
- "The Killers" study guide and teaching guide