Snows Of Kilimanjaro

Analyzing Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” In Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” one of the most prevalent topics within the short story is death. Although the author makes numerous references to death, it is shown using different techniques throughout the story. Before the story even begins, the author addresses a dead leopard carcass lying on the snowy Kilimanjaro mountain. It is already made apparent to the reader that death will be an important element in the story. Within the first few pages the audience will find out that the main character, Harry, has become injured, and is coming to terms with the possibility that he is about to die. This becomes the first, and most apparent reference to death after the prologue.

As the storyline progresses, Harry brings up the topic of death once again. He goes on to say, “You can shoot me. You’re a good shot now” (Hemingway 1). Here the reader starts to get the idea that Harry has already given up on trying to save himself. He goes on to say, “Can't you let a man die as comfortably as he can without calling him names?” (Hemingway 2). His wife, Helen, mentions his lack of desire to get help as cowardly, but Harry’s disinclination to get help is mainly motivated by the thought that he is becoming complacent with the fact that he is going to

After Harry’s wife, Helen, asks, “I don't see why that had to happen to your leg. What have we done to have that happen to us" (Hemingway 4). Harry responds saying, “I suppose what I did was to forget to put iodine on it when I first scratched it. Then I didn’t pay attention to it because I never infect. Then, later, when it got bad, it was probably using that weak carbolic solution when the other antiseptics ran out that paralyzed the minute blood vessels and started the gangrene" (Hemingway 4). The connotation of the quote is apparently straightforward, but it serves as a fundamental metaphor for of the leading themes within Hemingway’s short story. Through a gradual process, Henry allows himself to remain in the company of leisure and contentment without giving any consideration to his ability as a writer. When Harry’s leg was cut, he used the weak carbolic solution as a substitute for the superior iodine. The iodine is a symbol for Henry’s return to authenticity and enlightenment, and the allegorical analogue of the weak carbolic solution is the couple’s trip to the Kilimanjaro mountain in Africa. Additionally, Harry’s wife also mentions Paris as a place where Henry would have been healthy when she says, "You never would have gotten anything like