The Snows of Kilimanjaro

    "Kilimanjaro is a snow covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai 'Ngaje Ngai,' the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude." Through out the whole first few pages of the story, Harry discusses the birds flying over the mountain, he says they are after him, but knows they are going for the leopard carcass that is not quite visible. As the story begins Harry and Helen are bickering about his untimely exaggerated death. The readers get a glimpse as to how the attitude or mood of the story will be like. As readers get into the story, they find out Harry has gangrene in his right leg, causing no pain or discomfort. Hemingway has a strange way of making certain characters seem vulnerable to another character, like Helen in this story, and the old man to the young boy in  The Old Man and the Sea.

     Harry has many flashbacks into his past, wondering how he got here with this woman he has long despised, but loved the most at the same time. Knowing from Hemingway's past experiences with his many wives and lady friends, he may have wrote about this anger towards the woman by his own past romances.  Why did Hemingway choose this mountain to write about? Or put Harry on during his last days of life? The Mountain is called "The House of God," surrounding Harry is this supposedly having much tranquility and a safe place to be. There were many symbols in the story referring to Harry and his situation. The buzzards referring to his approaching death, or the hyena searching for death at the same time. The plane is also a symbol, this is Harry's escape from it all, his wife, the thought of death, being able to write what he wants, and even just dying in peace. Harry dies at the end of the story, with the traveling hyena close to the camp.  

    This whole story is centered on the death of the Harry. He went through many stages throughout the story, at first it was denial, then acceptance, and finally his fear of death and his unfinished works. Harry was a convincing character because of his love for money motivated him to lie and even fail at his dream of being a writer. Perhaps the most important way Hemingway develops the theme of this story is his uses of foreshadowing and symbolism. Using different animals to enforce the symbolism as we discussed earlier. The leopard starts off the foreshadowing by getting the readers to think about death and how it happens.

    This story achieves its purpose by the use of different writing skills and techniques. Hemingway uses not only his imaginative analytical skills, but draws upon his own life experiences. If readers are into the thought of death or processes of death, then read The Snows of Kilimanjaro.