BA English Short Story'The Killers' by Hemingway

The Killers by Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is a modern American writer. He is the most popular and the most 

widely read of all the American writers. His simple literacy style is very impressive. His 

technique of writing a short story is very unique. In his typical style he creates an 

atmosphere where isolated and nearly anonymous are put to illustrate understanding 

and perception. This famous story The Killers represents the same technique f the 

author. In the short story, Hemingway with the help of a very simple and direct 

language, he is successful to create a very powerful impact of death. His style keeps the 

reader bound till the end of the story.

In the story, Hemingway introduces two professional killers, Al and Max, who visit a 

restaurant to kill a person named Ole Anderson, a heavy weight boxing champion..The 

killers just want to kill him to oblige their friend..But luckily he does not come to that 

restaurant in that evening..They leave the place but also behind them a looming shadow 

of death under which a reader experiences horror. In the sort Ole Anderson is an 

isolated character who because of some certain reasons has given up the struggle to 

escape from the killers. He is not a coward person. He is fed up of running from death. A 

Solomon acquisition to death ennobles his mind and he develops a spiritual readiness 

to accept an eventuality. The restlessness is projected not only in the mind of the 

character but that of the reader.

Al and Max the two professional killers entered a restaurant and placed some order 

after a long discussion with the waiter. They were dressed in black overcoats, silk 

mufflers, derby hats and gloves, They were in fact dressed like twins. Their order of 

ham and egg and bacon and egg was served. After they had finished eating they asked 

Gorge, the water to call the cook, the Sam. Al took the cook and another boy Nick Adams 

to the kitchen and tied them back to back there. At the gun point. Max sat at the counter. 

George asked him what was all about. He told George that they wanted to kill Ole 

Anderson when he came for supper in the restaurant. When George asked for the 

reason, max told him that it was just to oblige a friend. They waited for a few minutes 

more and then both of them went away.

When they left the restaurant, George rushed to the kitchen and untied the both .They 

were very anxious about Ole Anderson s' life. George sent Nick to Anderson s; place to
inform about the danger. A woman led him to Anderson s; room. He was lying in his bed
with all his clothes on. Nick told him that two men have come to restaurant to kill him
when he came for supper. But Anderson did not show any sign of anxiety. He seemed to
know the background of the whole matter. He kept on looking at the wall and said
nothing. He thanked Nick Adam for coming there. Nick offered him help to save his life
but Anderson told him that there was not anything to be done. He was tired of running
from death. He was now ready to accept itit

Questions on , “The Killers"

Q: Bring out the element of horror in the short story , "" The Killers"?

Ernst Hemingway is a modern American writer. He enjoys a worldwide fame as a
writer. His spiel literary style is very impressive. His technique of writing a short troy is
unique. Hemingway in his typical style creates ann. atmosphere wherein isolated and
nearly anonymous characters are put to illustrate understanding and perception..The
Killers also represents the same technique of the writer. In a very simple and direct
language, he creates a very powerful impact of death.

The horror and suspense is crated in the story by the strange behavior of two men.
Their names were Al and Max. They came to the restaurant and sat at the counter. It
was evening time. They placed their order for ham and egg and bacon and egg after a
long discussion with George, the waiter. They were dressed in black overcoats, silk
muffles, derby hats and gloves on hands. They were, in fact, dressed like twins. 

Their orders were served. After they had finished eating they asked George to call the cook. Al
took the and cook and another bright boy, Nick Adam to the kitchen and them back to
back at the gun point.. Max sat at the counter. George asked them what was that all
about. He told George that they wanted to kill Ole Anderson jut to oblige a friend.

Theycontinued waiting for the arrival of Anderson but luckily he did not come at that
particular evening. After their long time waiting they left the restaurant but they also
left behind them a looming shadow of death. A reader while going through the story
feels the same horror felt by the character of the story.

Give a short description of the Henry lunch room?

Henry s' lunch room had been made over from a saloon into a lunch counter. There was
a big mirror behind the counter. It was not a very big restaurant and was just a place
where common people came for lunch and supper. There was a door behind the
counter which led into the kitchen. There were also two slits opening onto the kitchen
from where orders were served and dirty plates were passed into t he kitchen. There
was a clock on the wall which was twenty minutes fast. The customers sat at the
counter and ate their meals. Three persons worked n that restaurant. One was George,
who was the waiter. The second was Nick Adam, who probably managed the place and
the third was Sam who was the cook. The restaurant was located at a busy street

Read MCQs of Short Story The Killers 

Describe the appearance of the two men who came to the restaurant?

The two men who came to the restaurant were Al and Max. They were quite rough and
rude type of persons. They were dress in black overcoats, silk mufflers, derby hats and
gloves. The overcoats were too tight for them. They were in fact dressed like twins.
They dressed were identical but their faces were different. They sat leaning forward
with their elbows on the counter. Their behavior was rude and rough.They placed their
orders of ham and eggs and bacon and eggs after a long discussion with the waiter.
Their style of talking was very rude and they horrified George and Adams with their
typical cowboy-type behavior and by telling them that they wanted to kill Ole Anderson
just to oblige a friend. They ate their meals with their gloves on. After some time they
left the place. George saw them going across the road. In their tight overcoats and derby
hats they looked like Vaudeville team.

The Killers by Ernest Hemingway

Points to remember

1.   The Killers is a short story written by World famous American writer Ernest Hemingway

2.   It was first time published in 1927 in The Scribner s’ Magazine.

3.   The themes of the short story are death, friendship and the purpose of life.

4.   It is a story of atmosphere, horror and suspense.

5.   Satire is a typical weapon of Hemingway in his all stories

6.   This story is a satire on the law enforcing American Agencies.

7.   In that society the criminals are moving freely whereas the good men like Anderson are confined to their rooms.

8.   Despite Anderson s’ lots of complaints, the criminals are not being arrested.

9.   Al and Max two killers are after Ole Anderson to kill him just to oblige their friend.

10. They make the crew of the restaurant hostage, use abusive language and create unbearable horror.

11.     Luckily Anderson does not come there on that particular day, the killers after waiting leave the place but leave a looming shadow of death.

12.  Nick Adams visits Anderson room to inform him about the danger but he does not pay much attention to him