Indian Camp

The short story Indian Camp is about Nick Adams and his father (Dr. Adams), who rows out to an Indian Camp, because there is an Indian lady, who has been in labor for two days. Nick is with his father on work, because he is about to be a grown up and therefore his father thinks, that it is in time, that Nick sees how life is created – but not the consequences of life. Through this day Nick goes through some rite of passages, because he learns how to make his own decisions without getting influenced by his father.

Indian Camp happens in the 1920’s, where it was written, because of the primitive conditions. The short story takes place in an Indian camp, which look we picture in our heads, because the camp and its surroundings are described detailed in the text (page 13 line 16-19). There are three characters included in the action; Nick Adams, his father (Dr. Adams) and the American Indian woman.

Nick is the protagonist in the short story, who goes through a rite of passage, which makes him develop. In the beginning he sits in his father’s arms on their way to the Indian camp, where the father says that the reason to, why they are going over to Indian camp is because, there is an Indian lady very sick (page 12 line 14). It is a very pedagogic way to say, that there is a woman, who has been in labor for two days. On their way home, Nick sits in the stern, while his father is rowing (page 16 line 21-22). Through this day Nick grows so much mentally, because he experiences life and death on such close hand. When Nick’s father, Dr. Adams, operates the woman, Nick looks away, even though his father asks him to look, because his curiosity is gone (page 15 line 7). Later, when Nick’s father is ought to have a look at the proud father, he sees that the father has killed himself by cutting his throat from ear to ear. Then Nick’s father asks Uncle George to take Nick out of the shanty, but it is too late, because Nick is standing with a good view to the upper bunk, where the dead father of the baby boy is lying and Nick is way too curious to look away (page 15 line 36-39).

On their way home from the camp, Nick and his father is talking about life and death, which also indicates that they both grow and develop through this epoch-making day (page 16 line 6-20). Nick is a teenager, who is about to be a grown up. His dependence to his father slowly becomes smaller and Nick becomes more mature, because of experiences he makes through this day.

Dr. Adams is Nick’s father. He is the doctor, who has to help the American Indian woman (page 14 line 25-28). He is very overprotecting towards Nick in the beginning of the short story, but goes through a development just as Nick does. Dr. Adams wants Nick to experience life on a very close hand, but when he sees that the father of the baby boy has killed himself, he wants Nick out of the shanty, because he does not want Nick to face the consequences of life (page 15 line 31-35). Dr. Adams thinks Nick is old and brave enough to see how life is created, but not in which ways you can die, and what a terrible sight it is (page 14 line 40-42). Nick keeps watching the dead father, even though his father does not allow him, and with that he also makes an important choice without getting affected of his father’s angle (page 15 line 36-39). Dr. Adams realizes that his son is about to be a grown up and can make decisions on his own. Therefore they talk about the last step in life on their home from the Indian Camp (page 16 line 1-20).

The American Indian woman has been in labor for two days (page 13 line 16-17). She has a husband, who kills himself, while Dr. Adams is operating her (page 15 line 30-35). Dr. Adams operates her, because the baby does not have its head first. Therefore he has to make a caesarean on the woman without giving her any anaesthetic (page 15 line 4-6).

The events are presented in chronological order, because we do not have any flashback in the short story. The initial situation is that Nick is very depended by his father, but because of the development that Nick makes an important choice himself, the final situation is that Nick gets more independent and gets more confidence.

The narrator is a non-omniscient third person, because we do not get to know, what the characters are thinking. The characters are described indirectly by what they say and do (page 14 line 40-42).

The theme is identity, because Nick learns how to make a decision on his own. He gets to know himself better through this day and therefore he starts creating his own identity. The moral of the text is, that you have to go through some rite of passages, before you can become a grown up.

I can relate this short story to This is England, because the protagonist in the movie also is a teen, who passes some rite of passages and has to learn how to make decisions on his own without getting affected of anyone.