The Courage of Francis Macomber

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             Macomber also allows his wife and others to control him. When Macomber's wife insists on joining them on their quest for buffalo Wilson says ""No, you"re not""(34). But Macomber's unsure response of ""Why not stay in camp?"" shows that he does not possess the assertiveness that Wilson and his wife possess and makes him seem weaker in comparison. Macomber shows that he does not like confrontations in the beginning of the story by trying to dissolve any sort of tensions that may arise ""I"m sorry," Macomber said-I"m sorry I didn't realize that. There are lots of things I don't know." So what could he do, Wilson thought. He was all ready to break it off quickly and neatly and here the beggar was apologizing-(33). Macomber does what others tell him to do, and expects others to instruct him on how to behave and what to do. Macomber demonstrates this when he asks Wilson ""What had I out to give him?"" (29) and gives in to his wife's demands to be allowed onto the safari. Macomber needed more confidence not, as is suggested by the other characters, courage. He did not have a way with women and his wife only stayed with him because he was wealthy, "He was wealthy and knew she would not leave him"(44). "He always had a great tolerance-(45). Which allowed his wife to walk all over him and further pushed down his own self worth. .
             Macomber does reveal his "cowardice" by running from the lion, but his actions and interaction before this incident shows that his fear was justified. Macomber "woke in the night to hear it [the lion], he was afraid. There was no one to tell he was afraid, nor to be afraid with him-(36). The fact that no one could sooth Macomber's fears just compounds on them until his fears overwhelms him in the end. When Macomber tells his wife of hearing the lion, instead of receiving sympathy or concern she replies with ""Why didn't you wake me? I"d love to have hear it""(37). This lack of concern to his fears makes him repress them and therefore, when the fear surfaces it's more intense than if he had dealt with it before going on the hunt.