DARMA PERSADA UNIVERSITY

Introduction to
Literature
Analysis Short Story “The Killers”

Fajriyati Jamaliyah

2019130116

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 Table of Contents

CHAPTER I ................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background .......................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem Formulation ............................................................................ 2
1.3 Purpose of Analysis .............................................................................. 2
1.4 Benefits of Analysis ............................................................................. 2
CHAPTER II ................................................................................................ 3
DISCUSSION ............................................................................................... 3
2.1 Summary of the Story ...................................................................... 3
2.2 Intrinsic Elements ............................................................................. 5
2.3 Extrinsic Elements.......................................................................... 10
2.4 Analysis .......................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER III ............................................................................................ 12
CLOSING ................................................................................................... 12
3.1 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 12
REFERENCES........................................................................................... 13

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Literary work is the author's work based on his perspective, experience,

insight into his knowledge, what he sees and his mood. So the literary work is the
work of the author's imagination as outlined in written form.

One form of literary work is a short story. Short story is one type of literary
work in the form of prose and fictional nature that tells or illustrates a story
experienced by a character in a concise accompanied by various conflicts and
there are solutions to the problems encountered. Like other literary works, short
stories are also formed by various elements, including themes, characterizations,
plots, settings, and points of view. All these elements are considered important in
building a complete work.

One example of a short story is The Killers by Ernest Hemingway. Ernest

Hemingway is one of America's most famous writers. He is seen as one of the
greatest writers and writers of the 20th century in America and even in the world.
The Killers tells about a murder plan that ended in failure. The Killers was first
published in Scribner’s Magazine in 1927. After its appearance in Scribner's, the
story was published in Men Without Women, Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The
Nick Adams Stories.

In addition, he is also known for his legendary work, including the novel The
Old Man and the Sea (1952) which tells the story of the struggle of an old Cuban
fisherman to catch a giant marlin. The novel, written while he was living in Cuba,
won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize and Award of Merit Medal for Novels from the
American Academy of Letters. This novel also later led him to win the prestigious
Nobel Literature Prize in 1954. His novel was also repeatedly made into a film.

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 This paper is made with the aim to analyze The Killers short story. In the next
section will be explained in more detail about the elements of literary works in the
story.

1.2 Problem Formulation

The scope of the research problem for this story is as follows:
1. What are the intrinsic elements and extrinsic elements in The Killers story?
2. How is the relationship between intrinsic elements so as to build a theme in the
story of The Killers by Ernest Hemingway?

1.3 Purpose of Analysis

The purpose of the analysis is as follows :
1. Describe the intrinsic element in the story of The Killers by Ernest
Hermingway.
2. Describe the relationship between intrinsic elements so as to build a theme in
the story of The Killers by Ernest Hemingway.

1.4 Benefits of Analysis

1. Applying knowledge and theories learned in analyzing literary works.
2. Adding insight and knowledge to literary works.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

2.1 Summary of the Story

One day two men, Al and Max, came to Henry's lunchroom, where
the counter man, George, is talking to Nick Adams, one of the diners.
They sat down at the counter and debated about what to order. Their first
choices were to be served only at 6 o’clock, and since it’s 5 o’clock, the
pork tenderloin and chicken croquettes were not available. George lists the
available choices and the men order ham, eggs, bacon, and eggs,
respectively. They are dressed alike with tight overcoats, mufflers, and
derby hats. While they eat, they comment sarcastically on the liveliness of
the town, Summit. They mocked George and Nick as "bright boy".

Suddenly Al and Max order Nick around the other side of the
counter. Al asked George who is in the kitchen. George told him that Sam,
the cook, is in the kitchen. They force George to call Sam out. Al takes
Nick and Sam back into the kitchen while Max sits at the counter and
George remains behind it.

When George asks Max what it’s all about, Max reveals he and Al
are there to kill a Swede named Ole Andreson, a resident of Summit, when
he comes in to dinner at Henry’s at 6 o’clock. It becomes known that they
are hit men hired to kill Andreson in the manner, it is implied, of gangsters
in the movies. Al announces he has tied Sam and Nick up in the kitchen.
Max orders George to tell any customers that the cook is out and if that
doesn’t put them off, to cook for them himself but to get rid of them
quickly. When he goes into the kitchen to make a sandwich for a
customer, he sees Al with a sawed-off shotgun sitting by the wicket and
Sam and Nick tied up in the corner.

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 Finally, when Andreson has failed to show up by his usual hour of
6 o’clock, Al and Max prepare to leave. Al is reluctant to go, grumbling
that Max has talked too much about why they’re in Summit, but eventually
they leave and George unties Sam and Nick. George urges Nick to warn
Andreson but Sam urges him to stay out of it.

Nick, had decided to go, walks to Hirsch’s rooming-house where

Andreson lives and is let in by Mrs. Bell, the caretaker of the
establishment. Andreson, a former heavyweight boxer, is lying on his bed
in a depressed fashion and expresses no surprise when Nick tells him
about Al, Max, and their mission. Andreson appears resigned to his fate
and negates all of Nick’s suggestions that he should go to the police, skip
town, or patch up whatever matter led to the contract on him in the first
place. He said that he is through running and that eventually, he will leave
his room.

Nick left him and spoke briefly with Mrs. Bell, who says Andreson
has been depressed all day and that it’s a shame because he’s a nice man.
Upon returning to Henry’s, Nick reported to George that Andreson was
not surprised by the news and doesn’t plan to take any action to protect
himself, and they conclude that he probably double-crossed someone in
Chicago; that’s the cause of the contract on him. Nick is quite depressed
by the contemplation of Andreson’s fate and resolves to leave town.

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2.2 Intrinsic Elements

Theme

Point of View

Characters

Intrinsic Elements

Characterization

Setting

Plot

a. Theme

Tells about a murder plan that ended in failure.

b. Point of View

The writer use omniscient point of view, because the writer is not a
character in the story but he knows everything about the characters.

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c. Characters

 Al : Hired killer.

 Max : Al’s partner.

 George : Counter man in Henry’s Lunchroom.

 Nick Adams : A teenager, one of the diners.

 Sam : The cook at Henry’s Lunchroom. Other

characters call to him as “The Nigger”.

 Ole Andreson : Former heavyweight boxer whom Al and

Max mark for murder.

 Motorman : Customer who enters Henry’s Lunchroom

but leaves when George tells him that
Sam, is not on duty.

 Other Customer : Man who enters Henry’s Lunchroom and

becomes angry when told Sam is
unavailable to cook.

d. Characterization

 Max : He is sentimental. When George looking at him,

he said "The hell you were. You were looking at me.” He is also
silly because he speaks to much with George. Al said to him "You
talk too damn much.". He is the criminal, but also satirist and
most parts of his dialogue are ironic. He says to George: “just a
bright boy…” like Al.

 Al : He also satirist and most parts of his dialogue are

ironic like Max one’s. Al is the clear tough guy. He’s more

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 aggressive in his taunting, he’s the one with the gun, he’s the one
who ties up Nick and Sam in the kitchen. He’s also the more
professional criminal: he chastises Max for talking too much and is
nervous about leaving behind three witnesses. "It’s sloppy," he
said.
 George : He is patient. Al and Max taunt him, harass about
the dinner menu, call him a "bright boy. He is also brave and calm
in dealing with situation. Although the two armed men are there
he doesn’t show any fear nor is he nervous.
 Nick Adams : He is innocence. He is also brave because he
answers without hassle when the killers start giving him a hard
time. We gather that he’s young, probably a teenager, because of
lines like Sam’s: "Little boys always know what they want to do."
He’s earnest and helpful. He tried to save Ole and came to his
house.
 Sam : He is a coward and doesn't want to get into trouble.
He was scared and don’t want to be part of any trouble and says
that it is better not having anything to do with it at all. In the end
he brings out that he isn’t interested in Nick’s story and “doesn’t
even listen to it. He is smart because it is a wise decision to stay
out of trouble.
 Ole Andreson : He looked hopeless. Look at these lines: "There
isn’t anything I can do about it," "That wouldn’t do any good,"
"There ain’t anything to do," "There ain’t anything to do now".
Through dialogue, Andreson is characterized as inactive and
defeated.
 Mrs. Bell : She is a kind person. She was the one who tried to
convince Ole to take a walk. But she thinks that he doesn’t feel
well.

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  Motorman : Customer who enters Henry’s Lunchroom but
leaves when George tells him that Sam, is not on duty.

 Other Customer : He comes in the lunch-room and wants to eat

something. He gets very angry when George tells him that the cook
has gone out.

e. Setting

 Place : -Henry’s Lunchroom

-Summit
-Hirsch’s rooming-house.

 Time : -At night

“Outside it was getting dark. The street-light
came on outside the window.”

 Atmosphere : Tense atmosphere

f. Plot
The writer uses forward plot, that is a flow where events are
chronologically displayed, advanced, sequentially from the initial
stage, the middle stage, to the final stage of the story.

 Exposition : When Al and Max came into Henry’s Lunchroom.

They are dressed alike with tight overcoats,
mufflers, and derby hats. They sat down at the
counter and debated about what to order. Their
first choices were to be served only at 6
o’clock, and since it’s 5 o’clock, the pork
tenderloin and chicken croquettes were not
available. George lists the available choices and

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 the men order ham, eggs, bacon, and eggs,
respectively. While they eat, they comment
sarcastically on the liveliness of the town, Summit.

 Rising Action : Suddenly Al and Max told Nick to go behind the

counter and they forced George to call Sam out,
the nigger that cooks. Al takes Nick and Sam back
into the kitchen while Max sits at the counter and
George remains behind it.

 Climax : George is confused and asks Max what really

happened. Max told George that he and Al are
planning to kill a Swede named Ole Andreson,
when he comes in to dinner at Henry’s at 6
o’clock. Meanwhile, Al tied Nick and Sam in the
kitchen. Max orders George to tell any customers
that the cook is out and if that doesn’t put them off,
to cook for them himself but to get rid of them
quickly. When he goes into the kitchen to make a
sandwich for a customer, he sees Al with a sawed-
off shotgun sitting by the wicket and Sam and
Nick tied up in the corner.

 Falling Action : Al and Max waited for Ole Andreson to come, but
Ole Andreson did not come for dinner. Finally
they decided to leave Henry's Lunchroom. After
that George went straight to the kitchen and
helped Nick and Sam to untie the rope.

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  Resolution : After Al and Max leave, George urges Nick to
warn Ole Andreson, but Sam warn him to stay out
of it. But Nick had decided to go, walks to
Hirsch’s rooming-house where Ole Andreson
lives. When he got there, he met Mrs. Bell, the
house keeper. Then, Nick met Ole and told him he
would be killed. but after finding out Ole did not
look surprised and he did nothing. Upon returning
to Henry’s, Nick reported to George that Andreson
was not surprised by the news and doesn’t plan to
take any action to protect himself, and they
conclude that he probably double-crossed someone
in Chicago; that’s the cause of the contract on him.
Nick is quite depressed by the contemplation of
Andreson’s fate and resolves to leave town.

2.3 Extrinsic Elements

a. Social Element
As we know, in the story George calls Sam as The Nigger. This story
explains about racism between White People and Nigger. Until now, the
word Nigger can not be said just anyone because the person concerned
will be offended when he hears it. People other than black may say the
word Nigger or Nigga on condition that the person has become a close
friend of one or several people from the black race.

b. Moral Value
This story teaches us to help people who are in danger. Also, this story
teaches us that death cannot be avoided. As we know, in the story Ole
Andreson did nothing when he knew that he would be killed by Max and
Al.

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 2.4 Analysis

This story shows us that death is inevitable and we cannot escape death. In the
story, it seems like Ole Andreson was running away from Max and Al. But in the
end, he stopped running away and seemed to surrender to the situation. He said
"I'm through with all that running around.", "There ain't anything to do now." Ole
Andreson has accepted the fact that he is going to die. He knows that the death
will get him, trying to run away from it won’t help him. There is nothing that he
can do that will save him from his death.

In the story it is not explained in detail about the reasons for Al and Max to kill
Ole Andreson, only mentioned that they wanted to kill Ole Andreson because of a
friend. George said " Double-crossed somebody. That's what they kill them for. "
We do not know for sure what Ole did. Maybe they plan to get revenge with Ole.
But finally Al and Max failed to kill Ole because he didn't come to dinner.

Nick has also learned this through his experience during this story. At the
beginning, he doesn’t understand that death is inevitable. When he leaves
Andreson’s house, he realized that there is more in life than he knows. He made
the decision to leave the town. The thought that someone he knows is going to die
makes Nick scared and about what is going to happen to Ole Andreson. George
knows that Andreson’s death is inevitable so he tells Nick that he shouldn’t think
about it. Although Nick hasn’t acquired all of the experience he seems to be on
the way to learn it.

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 CHAPTER III
CLOSING

3.1 Conclusion

In this story there are many life values that we can learn. As we know, in the story
there is racism with Nigger. We cannot be racist against a tribe or race. Besides
that, this story teaches us to help people who are in danger, like Nick did to Ole
Andreson. Ole Andreson also teaches us that death is inevitable and we cannot
escape to avoid it.

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 REFERENCES

https://www.shmoop.com/killers-hemingway/title.html

http://maulanaeo14.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-analysis-of-short-story-
godfather.html

https://www.zonareferensi.com/unsur-ekstrinsik-novel/

https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-exposition-complication-climax-
denouement-308832

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