“Indian Camp” is a short story belonging to the genre of Modernism. Modernist literature emerged after World War I as writers were simultaneously grappling with the devastating effects of war and the growing economic divide caused by industrialization. Much of Modernist writers' work challenged literary conventions that they saw as too tidy or romantic, like happy endings, heroic protagonists, and clear moral messages.
Hemingway’s modernist stylings come across in a few different ways in the story. First, his narration is extremely minimalist, which forces readers to come to their own conclusions about how they should feel about the story. What’s more, the “takeaway” that Nick leaves the story with (that he will never die), is clearly immature and incorrect, leaving readers confused and dissatisfied at the conclusion of the story. This kind of readerly dissatisfaction is one of the goals of Modernist literature, as writers believed such a response matched the widespread discontent of the early 20th century.
While “Indian Camp” isn’t a classic coming-of-age tale in which the protagonist matures into a capable adult, it is certainly a Modernist take on one. Nick starts the story an innocent child who knows nothing of birth and death and leaves the story having witnessed extremely traumatic versions of both (the Indian woman’s agonizing cesarean and her husband’s brutal suicide). Rather than feeling changed in a hopeful or positive way, Nick ends the story denying the possibility of death, indicating that he has a long way to go before becoming a knowledgeable and empowered adult.
