Structure
Here, we will discuss the structure of “Ten Indians” by Ernest Hemingway.
The short story follows …
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Title
The title of the story can be initially interpreted as an allusion to the American children’s rhyme called “Ten Little Indians”. The original rhyme was written in 1868 and it describes the various adventures of ten Native Americans, up to the point that only one remains alive, gets married, and eventually there are no Native Americans left.
The children’s rhyme can also be a…
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Beginning
In the exposition, readers are introduced to the main characters – Nick and the Garners – as well as to the context of the short story – the celebration of America’s Independence Day. We also get to know that the group passed nine drunken Native Americans on the road on their way from town:
After one Fourth of July, Nick, driving home late from town in the big wagon with Joe Garner and his family, passed nine drunken Ind…
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Middle
The rising action begins with the young Garner boys pointing to a place where their father once ran over a skunk. Nick mentions that he recently saw two skunks, and he is immediately teased by the Garner boys, who mock his relationship with a Native American girl, Prudence Mitchell, whom they claim smells like a skunk:
‘They were coons probably,’ Carl said.
‘They were skunks. I guess I know skunks.’
‘You ought to,’ Carl said. ‘You got an Indian girl.’
‘Stop talking that way. Carl,’ said Mrs. Garner.
‘Well, they smell about the same.’
Joe Garner laughed. (ll. 39-44)
Soon after, the family mocks Carl because they claim he cannot get a girlfriend, not even a Native American one. Joe Garner advises Nick to be careful when it comes to Prudence and keeping her as a girlfriend. This is…
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Ending
The falling action presents Nick crying, something which his father ignores. The young man goes to his room and feels heartbroken:
Nick went into his room, undressed, and got into bed. He heard his father moving around in the living room. Nick lay in the bed with his face in the pillow. ‘My …
