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To Have and Have Not

BY Earnest Hemingway

It is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1937 by Charles Scribner's Sons. The book follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain out of Key West, Florida. To Have and Have Not was Hemingway's second novel set in the United States, after The Torrents of Spring.

SUMMARY

Analysis

Ernest Hemingway's To Have and Have Not is a very fluid, gripping adventure novel. Uneducated and unskilled Harry Morgan, who does not think of any business other than supporting the poor and his family, somehow gets involved in illegal business while trying to hold on to life and somehow earn money and is eventually shot to death. The author's realistic approach, the language built with slang words, the style that is usually made up of short and clear sentences, and the plot of the novel with lots of action are truly wonderful. The reader will read with admiration and interest about Harry Morgan's dangerous journeys to make a living, his predicaments, and the unfortunate events that happened to him, and will be eager to finish the book in one breath. Harry Morgan's tragic story, his fight for survival and his dangerous life are among the unforgettable adventures.

 Short Summary

Harry Morgan is a married man with three daughters, who makes a living by smuggling between West Island and Cuba, while at other times rented his boat to tourists and took them fishing. Harry Morgan, whose only concern is to take care of his family and bring money home, there is no business he cannot deal with, whether it is legal or not. Harry Morgan, who rented and served his boat to a tourist named Johnson for about three weeks, was broke and accepted an illegal job after Johnson escaped without pay from West Island. This work, which is mediated by a bartender named Freddy, is the job of kidnapping the Chinese out of the border. Mr. Sing, a slanted-eyed Chinese, is the person who organized this abduction operation. Harry Morgan, who makes a deal with Mr. Sing for a good pay, actually does not want to be in danger and lose his boat to the police; because this boat is his only source of income. How will Harry Morgan take care of his family and bring bread to his house if they confiscate his boat? So, Harry Morgan comes up with a plan. On the evening of the kidnapping, Eddy, in need of money but not recruited by Harry, is included in his plan when he gets on the boat illegally. When the illegal immigrants are to be taken, Harry hides them in the boat. He kills Mr. Sing after taking the money from him. He leaves illegal immigrants to the shore at gunpoint. This way, Harry makes a good profit without taking any serious risk.

One day, while he is smuggling, he is noticed by Cuban police and shot in the arm. Wesley, a black man who he took as an assistant, was shot in the leg. Returning to West Island with the goods he could not deliver, Harry dumped the goods into the sea. Thus, he hopes to avoid being punished. However, at that time, one of the top officials of the United States came to the island on vacation and noticed that Harry Morgan had been shot while he was touring. Realizing that there was something involved in this, the officer reported Harry Morgan to the security forces. Thus, Harry Morgan's boat was seized. Harry Morgan is hospitalized after being shot in the arm. Unfortunately, Harry's arm had to be amputated. Thus, Harry lost both his boat and his arm.

Years later, Harry takes another illegal job. The person arranging this job is a lawyer nicknamed Meatball Lip. The job consists of transporting the Cuban revolutionaries from West Island to Havana. However, Harry doesn't have a boat to do this job. Harry accepts the job and decides to steal his confiscated boat. He does that too. However, the police captured the boat. Harry is lucky because it has not been found who stole the boat. Later, Harry goes to his old friend bartender Franky and rents his boat for a good deposit and fee. A poor man named Albert also boarded the boat helping Harry Morgan.

Harry and Albert are on the boat. Harry's eyes are on the bank on the beach. There comes a time when the bank is robbed by armed bandits. Then the bandits come to Harry's boat with the help of a taxi. Albert says he should not take these thugs on the boat, as he does not know the matter. However, the Cubans who will move to Havana are none other than these bank robbers. A bandit kills Albert and orders Harry to sail. Harry had prepared before. Harry put a rifle and a gun on the boat. However, he is one-armed, and it will be a little difficult to kill these four Cubans on his boat. It was bad that Albert was killed. Harry finds a chance to shoot the Cubans. Three of the Cubans die, while one is only injured. Harry thought he killed all Cubans. Injured Cuban shoots Harry. Harry is injured in the stomach. Then he immediately kills the injured Cuban. His own wound is also very severe. He lies on his back on the boat to avoid harming himself. Then he passes out. Then the boat is found and brought to West Island. Harry is admitted to the hospital. Poor Harry, unable to take it any longer, dies on the operating table. Harry's wife, Marie, must try to get used to a life without Harry.