“The Snows of Kilimanjaro” By Ernest Hemingway

Through the use of symbolism, contrasting themes, and characterization in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", Hemingway seeks to convey the universal struggle between
success and failure.

Summary

Harry, a writer, and his wife, Helen, are stranded while on safari in Africa. Harry has been fatally wounded from a leg infection after being scratched by a thorn. As
they wait for a rescue plane from Nairobi that he knows won't arrive on time, Harry spends his time drinking and insulting Helen. Harry reviews his life through a
serious of flashbacks, realizing that he wasted his talent through procrastination and luxury from a marriage to a wealthy woman that he doesn't love.

As Harry lies on his cot, he is aware that vultures are walking around his makeshift camp, and a hyena lurks in the shadows. Knowing that he will die before he wakes,
Harry goes to sleep and dreams that the rescue plane is taking him to a snow covered summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Its Western summit is
called the Masai "Ngàje Ngài," the House of God, where he sees the legendary leopard.

Writing Style

Hemingway transfers between "real time" and Harry's past in Italics. Most all of the Italics sections are events in Harry's life that he meant to write about but never got
around to.

"'You can't take diction, can you?'

'I never learned,' she told him.

'That's all right.'

There wasn't time, of course although it seemed as though it telescoped so that you might put it all into one paragraph if you could get it right." (Hemingway 50)

Tone

 Harry's tone shifts back and forth between resentment and indifference in the beginning.

"Maybe you could never write them, and that was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know, now." (Hemingway 41)

 Harry's tone toward the end suggests that he's come to terms with his fate, and does truly accept it.

"I'm getting bored with dying as with everything else, he thought." (Hemingway 54)

 Helen's tone is constantly concerned or worried for Harry's well being.

"'I wish we'd never come,' the woman said. She was looking at him, holding the glass and biting her lip." (Hemingway 41)

"' Wouldn't you like some more broth?' the woman asked him now...

'I would like a whiskey-soda'

'It's not good for you'" (Hemingway 52)

Characters

Harry:

 A writer who is about to die and the protagonist of the story

 a dynamic character (changes throughout the story) presented negatively in the beginning, but Harry's character improves as he approaches death.
 Was very concerned with his writing career, and often worried about being a failure.
 Associated with the theme of masculinity
 How Harry is like Hemingway
 Harry can be very easily read as a representation of Hemingway
 Both writers
 Both enjoy hunting
 Both made trips to Africa
 Both lived in Paris
 Both drank heavily
 Both are classically “ultra-masculine” men. fighting, hiding emotions
 Both involved in war and traumatized.
 Protagonist
 Anti-hero
 Foil of Helen
 Indirectly introduced in the introduction
 Ambiguous dialogue between a “he” (Harry) and “she” (Helen).
 The reader learns of his personality though a series of quarrels with his wife, Helen, and through memories of his past = an alcoholic, cynical and callus person.
 Lived an unhappy and empty lifestyle.
 Hemmingway based this character off of himself
 He made Harry very realistic drawing on his own professional resume to create a journalistic background for Harry
 Hemmingway devised up this character based on what he hoped to feel once his life comes to an end. To look face death and to look back on life knowing that he
lived it to its fullest.
 Thus Harry, of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is Hemingway: a Hemingway who succumbed to temptation, who became soft and lazy, who allowed his talent to
rot, and who fell into a stinking living death (Gengrene is a flesh eating disease.) We might call Harry Hemingway's twin. Hemingway is taking Harry to the place
of judgment, is offering the review of his life, is apparently passing judgment, and is sending him off to hell or heaven.
 -Protagonist
 -Married to Helen
 -Approaches death by gangrene
 -Unsuccessful/Successful writer
 -Critical
 -Has had numerous wives
 -Not really in love with his wife
 -Experienced outdoorsman
 -Served in the US military
 -Internally conflicted (struggles to come to terms with his own death)
 - His flashbacks show that he has had an exciting and well-traveled life but he's also haunted by his memories of WW1
 - Can be viewed as a hero through some of his past experiences.
 self-centered
 lazy
 deep
 desires a better life
 Protagonist of the story
 Based on Hemingway himself
 Plagued with regret
 Writer
 Self described as curious

Helen:

 Harry's wife and a foil to his rude personality. Rich woman.

 Unlike Harry, Helen is a a static (does not change) character as her personality remains constant throughout.
 Was referred to as "the Wife" or "woman" until the end when Harry mentions her by name. This could also symbolize Harry's dynamic change and his growing
respect for her as he finally refers to her by name
 Associated with the theme of femininity
 Constant
 Motivated
 Foil of Harry
 Like Harry, Helen is as well emotionally damaged.
 She is very loving to Harry.
 Drank heavily to numb the pain she feels after her first husband's death: "Her husband had died when she was still a comparatively young woman and for a while
she had devoted herself to her two just-grown children, who did not need her and were embarrassed at having her about, to her stable of horses, to books, and to
bottles.”
 Helen
 Helen is considered one of Hemmingways most heroic women for her selfless love and respect for Harry
 She had been devoted to her first husband who died just as their two children had grown and left home, leaving her quite alone and needing to build a new life.
 To deal with her depression Helen took to lovers
 When one of her children was killed in a plane crash, she was devastated and scared. She no longer wanted lovers; she wanted a solid relationship, and she found
Harry.
 Helen admired his books and thought his life exciting. She had started a new life with him, and in turn, he had lost his old life.
 -Very wealthy
 -Kind, calm & selfless
 -Skilled with a gun (which Harry highly respects her for)
 Compton & Molo
 -Minor character
 -Exists only in Harry's dream
 -Minor character
 -African servant to Harny & Helen
 Born into money
 Loyal
 Affectionate
 Brave in times of trouble
 Character (cont.)

Stock Characters

 Molo
 Harry & Helen's servant during their safari
 African native
 Mostly provides Harry with alcohol to ease his pain (both physical and emotional)
 Compson
 Pilot
 Set to fly Harry to a hospital
 "... all he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was
where he was going."
 Bwana

Themes

The major themes all have a contrasting theme to them:

 masculinity-femininity
 death-life
 success-failure

Masculinity and Femininity:

In "The Snow of Kilimanjaro", Harry is seen as the harsh and brute, while Helen is seen as the helpless victim in the situations that take place.

A common theme for Hemingway, also seen in "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" between Macomber and his wife.

In "The Snow of Kilimanjaro", Harry is seen as the harsh, masculine brute while Helen is the feminine victim, and is seen in their exchanges during the beginning of
the story

"'I love you, really. You know I love you. I've never loved any one else the way I love you'.

He slipped into the familiar lie he made his bread and butter by.

'You're sweet to me.'

'You bitch,' he said. 'You rich bitch. That's poetry. I'm full of poetry now. Rot and poetry. Rotten poetry.'

'Stop it. Harry, why do you have to turn into a devil now?'"(Hemingway, 43).

Death and Life:

Ironically, throughout Harry's last moments of life, death was surrounding him, but with Harry's death he gained new life.

Death was seen throughout the story through symbolism, such as vultures and the hyena.

"'It can be two bicycle policemen as easily, or a bird. Or it can have a wide snout like a hyena'"(Hemingway, 54).

Life was seen more at the end of the story with Harry's vision about Kilimanjaro

"As wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was where he was
going"(Hemingway, 56).

throughout Harry's last moments of life, death was surrounding him

Death was seen throughout the story through symbolism, such as vultures and the hyena.

Success and Failure:

Success, represented by the leopard and Kilimanjaro, was the type of life Harry wanted to live.

Instead, due to Harry's lazy and non-persistent attitude, Harry's life was full of failure. It wasn't until Harry died and reached Kilimanjaro that Harry found success.

Success, represented by the leopard and Kilimanjaro, was the type of life Harry wanted to live.

Instead, due to Harry's lazy and non-persistent attitude, Harry's life was full of failure. It wasn't until Harry died and reached Kilimanjaro that Harry found internal
happiness and succes

Symbols

The Vultures:

The vultures are a death omen, they gather in the tree above Harry waiting for him to die.

"The birds no longer waited on the ground. They were all perched heavily in a tree. There were many more of them" (Hemingway 44)

They are attracted to death for they feed off of the dead, they foreshadow his approaching doom.

Kilimanjaro:

The summit of Kilimanjaro is an obvious symbol for Heaven, but also for success, which is what Harry hopes to obtain.

"All he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that was where he
was going"(Hemingway, 56).
 The positive connotation in Hemingway's description and imagery surrounding the mountain gives the relates to Harry finally reaching success after dealing with the
struggles and failure in life.

The Leopard:

The Leopard mentioned in the beginning of the short story symbolizes strength, and success.

"Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude"(Hemingway, 39).

The leopard also represents the type of person Harry wishes to become, successful and strong, and what he accomplishes in his vision.

The Hyena:

The hyena symbolizes death and failure

As death: whenever Harry felt a wave of death overcome him, the hyena was always involved.

"It came with a rush; not a rush of water or wind; but of a sudden evil-smelling emptiness and the odd thing was that the hyena slipped lightly along the edge of
it"(Hemingway, 47).

As failure: The hyena also symbolized Harry's failure in life. Hyenas are thought to be pathetic creatures and are viewed negatively, much like Harry was when he
gave up and failed as a writer.

"'They're a filthy animal though'"(Hemingway, 47).

Analysis

Hemingway lists everything that Harry wishes that he'd accomplished through the use of flashbacks and the speech immediately prior to each flashback. He also uses
many symbols to show the strong element of death and torment in Harry's last moments, but after his death gives him the beautiful image of the mountain. Hemingway
seems to give Harry his punishment prior to his death and then gives him beauty and "rescue" after his death, the beauty being the mountain and the rescue the
emergency plan sent for him.

With the multiple symbols, the contrasting themes, and even the foil characterization, Hemingway develops a short story that represents the struggles faced in every
day life, making the story a universal truth that represents everyone's struggle and desire for success.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Short Story Overview

- Written by Ernest Hemingway

- First published in Esquire Magazine, 1936.
- Anthologized many times – Enjoyed great popularity.

_ Story of a writer at the end of his life.

_ Main carácter “sees his life flash before his eyes” as he realices that he is dying.

_ Story of memories and regret about certain life decisions.

Main carácter as a self-portrait of Hemingway himself: Autobiographical references and similarity between main carácter and Hemingway (insecurity, machismo,
disdain for women).

Author’s Biography

Ernest Hemingway (Oak Park, Illinois, 1899 - Ketchum, Idaho, 1961)

- One of the most significant American authors of the 20th C. (USA & Europe).

- Started career as a writer - age 17 - in a newspaper office (The Kansas City Star) in Kansas City.

- WWI: volunteer ambulance driver in the Italian army. Severely injured, returned to USA.

- After WWI: reporter for Canadian and American newspapers. Sent back to Europe to cover events such as wars and revolutions.

- 1920s: member of the "Lost Generation" (group of expatriate Americans in Paris)

- Second half of 1944: traveled to the European front of WWII as a journalist.

Style

Novels and short fictions.

Familiar stringent style, economical use of words, "believable" characterizations of the modern condition. Straightforward prose, spare dialogue and predilection for
understatement in short stories.

Liked to portray soldiers, hunters, bullfighters, primitive people whose courage and honesty are set against the brutal ways of modern society and who in this
confrontation lose hope and faith.

Ernest Hemingway used his life experiences as inspiration and background for his pieces of writing.
- A Farewell to Arms (1929). Experience as an ambulance driver in WWI.

- The Sun Also Rises (1926). Experiences as a member of the "Lost Generation".

- Green Hills of Africa (1935), The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1936) & The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber (1936). Inspired in a safari to East Africa Hemingway
participated in in 1933.

- For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). Experiences as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War.

Short Story Summary

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 and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.

The Snow of Kilimanjaro

Setting

- Safari in Africa. African plains.

- Stranded on the plains. Waiting for a plane to take them home.

Characteristics of the Story

- Level of present action: minor.

- Action occurs in the past.

- Story focuses on the SITUATION.

Situation

- Harry is dying of gangrene.

- On his deathbed, he starts remembering past experiences (flashbacks - "stream of consciousness") and he realizes that he has traded for security and comfort his
integrity as a writer.

- Harry regrets about some of his past decisions since they prevented him from fulfilling his potential as a writer.

Sequence of Events

- Harry and Helen are on a Safari in Africa.

- Harry scratches his leg with a thorn and does not put oidine on the wound.

- Harry’s leg becomes infected and he gets gangrene.

- Painless infection. Strong odor of rotting flesh.
- Vultures are waititng for him to die.
- Stranded on the pain. Truck has broken down. Harry and Helen are waiting for a plane to take them home.

- Harry knows he is going to die.

- He feels sad, irritated, frustrated. He quarrels with Helen.
- Sense of unfulfilled ambition as a writer.
- Harry has traded for security and confort his integrity as a writer.
- Flashbacks
- Past is unfolded.
- All scenes of action, happiness, success as a writer.
- Contrast with the vitality that has deserted him.

- Evening comes.
- Hyena passes nearby. Harry is sure he is going to die.
- Harry becomes delirious.
- Cot is moved inside the tent for the night.

- Harry sees how a plane comes for him.

- He is rescues and the plane flies to the snow-covered peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Then, hyena makes a “strangely human, almost crying sound”, and Helen realices that Harry has died.

Symbols in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"

Africa
"Africa was where he had been happiest in the good time of his life, so he had come out here to start again. [...]. He had thought that he could get back into training that
way. That in some way he could work the fat off his soul the way a fighter went into the mountains to work and train in order to burn it out of his body".

- Moral significance.

- Hope of moral regeneration & of recovering lost integrity.

- Associated with Harry's creative phase as a writer, before the corruption of money.

Snow-covered Montain Top

- Main symbol in the story.

- Kind of perfection attainable only in death.

- Symbol of life-in-death. Eternal life.

- Snow: purity.

The Plain

- Symbol of death-in-life.

- Hot and full of glare.

- Associated with Harry's dull and joyless current existence.

- Contrast the image of the mountain top.

Symbols in “The snows of Kilimanjaro”

Gangrene

- Symbolic manifestation of the sickness of the soul.

- Rotting flesh = rotting soul.

- Painless disintegration of body = unnoticed & silent disintegration of the soul (moral disintegration).

"But he would never do it, because each day of not writing, of comfort, of being that which he despised, dulled his ability and softened his will to work so that, finally,
he did no work at all".

Leopard

- It attained the summit and died in the effort leaving its body in its snows.

- Comparison: man vs. leopard

- Leopard: life-in-death

- Man: death-in-life

- Spiritual dimension of people. Afterlife.

- Harry achieves life-in-death at the end of the story.

Vultures & Hyena

- Symbols of death.

- Associated with the death-in-life of the second phase of Harry's career.

- Contrasted with the leopard.

Helen, Harry's wife

- Symbol of death (death-in-life)

- Comfort and security while being with Helen led Harry to his moral death (death-in-life).

Biography of Ernest Hemingway

• Famous for using the Iceberg Theory

- Facts are above the water.

- Supporting structure, symbolism beneath.

 -Style of writing was simple and direct.

• American author & journalist in1920s to the 1950s.

• Won Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

• 7 novels, 6 short story collections, 2 non-fiction published.

• Raised in Oak Park, Illinois.

• Served in WWI on the Italian Front and was wounded severely at the age of 18.

• Spent 6 months at a hospital in Milan & fell in love with a nurse fell in love with nurse.

• She became engaged to an Italian officer, devastating Hemmingway, causing him to abandon wives; he was married many times.

• After the war, felt a need to get away.

• With a new wife, moved to Paris in 1921.

• 1954 on safari in Africa, almost killed in two plane crashes.

• Advised to stop drinking to preserve liver

• Committed suicide in Ohio in 1961 (aged 61).

Plot Line

Exposition

Who

Harry, Helen, and two boys (Molo & Bwana)

What

Car broke down, waiting for a rescue plan. Harry wants to get his life back on track.

Where

Plains of Africa on a safari.

Early 1900’s after World War One.

When

In the past

Previous Action

“ “I suppose what I did was forget to put iodine on it when I first scratched it. Then I didn’t pay any attention to it because I never infect. Then, later, when it got bad, it
was probably that weak carbolic solution when the other antiseptics ran out that paralyzed the minute blood vessels and started the gangrene.” ” ( 3)

Initial Incident

The car breaks down leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Harry is unable to go to the hospital to get treatment for his leg.

Therefore, he begins his journey to his death.

Rising Action

Prior to Harry's death:

“... the morning breeze blew them toward the camp and the plane circled twice more, low this time, and then glided down and levelled off and landed smoothly, and
coming walking toward him, was old Compton in slacks, a tweed jacket and a brown felt hat.” ( 17)

Falling Action

Harry feels the presence of death. Continuously, he has flashbacks on his life and thinks of the stories he never got a chance to write.

Introduction and setting (Kilimanjaro)

•Story about writer, Harry at the end of his life

•African Safari encampment

•Mount Kilimanjaro

•Safari in Tanzania

•Gets infected with Gangrenous disease.

Mount Kilimanjaro (Michelle)

•Located in Tanzania, Africa

•Tallest mountain in Africa

•Dormant volcano

•Snowy peaks, 5,895 m above sea level

•Is also called the “House of God.”

Point of View (Emily)

Limited Omniscient

Reveals characters past, thoughts and feelings

Story continues after Harry’s death.

Conflict

First Conflict

Person Vs. Nature: Harry vs. Gangrene

•Thorn scratches his knee

•Neglected to treat cut with iodine

•’“Since the gangrene started in his right leg he had no pain and with the pain the horror had gone and all he felt now was a great tiredness and anger that this was the
end of it.” (3)

•Severe infection = Gangrene

•Sets off time bomb in Harrys mind

Second Conflict

Person vs Self: Harry vs Harry

• Cant stop thinking negative thoughts

• Reminiscing on the past

•“Now he would never write the things that he had saved to write until he knew enough to write them well.”(3)

• Unsure of his future

• His time has run out

Third Conflict

Person vs Society: Harry vs Money

•Helens wealth

•“Your damned money was my armor. My Sword and my Armor” (7)

•Intertwines all conflicts

Fourth Conflict:

Person vs Self

•Deeper into the injury = thoughts get worse

•Pessimistic on his life

•Blames others around him

•“If it had not been she it would have been another. If he lived by a lie he should try to die by it.” (7)

•Really is conflict within himself

•“He had destroyed his talent himself” (7)

Fifth Conflict:

Person vs. Super Natural: Harry vs. Death

•“I’m going to die tonight. I don’t need my strength up” (12)

•Giving up

•Scared

Rising Action and flashbacks

• Reflections on his life

• Erosion of values

• Lost love, loose sex, drinking, revenge, and war

“And that night missing her so much it made him feel hollow sick inside, he wandered up past Maxim’s, picked up a girl and took her out to supper. He had gone to a
place to dance with her afterwards, she danced badly, and left her for a hot American slut, that swung her belly against him so it almost scalded.” (10) (Emily)

The Iceberg Theory

• Hemmingway ’s famous “Iceberg Theory

• Only a short part of the overall content is actually written down

• The rest of it stands in-between the lines

• Tends to obscure their thematic implications. (Michelle)

Themes

Main themes: Death and regret

• Those who do not make wise decisions regarding their talents during their lives tend to look back with remorse and regret

• Death is focused upon, as the protagonist, Harry, is pessimistic by character, and is expectant of his impending death

• Feels like failure as a writer because of moral delinquencies and his dependency on the wealth of his wives.

•Love, self-realization writing are three other themes that became apparent through the text

•On his deathbed, Harry's reflections convey the interconnected nature of these five themes, which are visible in his dialogue with his wife, Helen, and in his
flashbacks. (Michelle)

Symbolism of Death (Michelle)

THE CLIMAX

Mount Kilimanjaro

“The House of God”

Represents the acceptance of his punishment & passage into the afterlife.

A symbol for Harry’s redemption as a character and continuing desire to rise above his past mistakes, even at the moment of his death.

Ascension into afterlife.

Hyenas and Vultures

The hyena and vultures are associated with illness, fear, and death

-A vulture indicates a darker mood or tone. It demonstrates long suffering as it waits, floating in the sky, for its prey to die. Foreshadows Harry’s death.

-The Hyena is untrustworthy, and is like a greedy, lustful man, like Harry.

Infection

The progression of his injury represents his rotting sense of self-worth

Evidence of his self-abuse in past (relationships, alcohol)

The gangrene is symbolic of Harry’s rotting soul.

Snow

 The gentle hiss of falling snow described in his flashbacks: “the snow as smooth to see as cake frosting and as light as powder and he remembered the noiseless
rush the speed made as you dropped down like a bird”

 It is in this sense that snow eases him into death.

Symbolism of Regrets

“He had destroyed his talent by not using it, by betrayals of himself and what he believed in” (7).
He blames himself for choosing to “make a living with something else than a pen or pencil” (7).

The Geography of Mt. Kilimanjaro

• The mountain represents a challenge, a climb whereas the plains set contrast.

• In Harry’s life, the mountains represented his dreams but he ends up dying in the low flat plains = his defeat.

• Mt. Kilimanjaro represents the sovereign height of which every writer wishes to rise

• Therefore, he relates his writing to his failure of reaching Mt. Kilimanjaro’s summit.

Falling Action sierra

When the events and complications begin to solve themselves.

“Just then the hyena…she could not look at it.”

Characters: Helen and Harry.

Point of View: Third Person Limited Omniscience through Helen.

Resolution sierra

Harry has succumbed to the gangrene

Helen becomes aware of his death. Interesting parallels are drawn between the living and the dead.

Harry is dead and breathing cannot be heard. Helen is alive and her heart is beating so loudly that it drowns out the sound of the hyena.

Poetic to address these differences.

A story about death ends with something so alive as a beating heart.

Literary Devices

Similies and metaphors

“Love is a dunghill…And I’m the cock that gets on it to crow”

Harry to Helen, page 5

“Your damned money was my armour”

Harry to Helen, page 5

What was the one that the teacher liked? (sierra)

Conclusion

• The protagonist “sees his life flash before his eyes” as he realizes he is dying

• Blames his lack of success on his wife and her money

• Uses flashbacks to contrast Harry

• Metaphors + allusions  desire, loss, death of talent. (monika)

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in the world, it's located in northeastern Tanzania, Africa. It is a giant strato volcano that is now inactive. Its a very popular but
dangerous tourist attraction and many people die every year trying to climb it.

Background

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro," has been referred to as Hemingway's short story masterpiece. He wrote it after his fascination with his first safari to Africa.

Hemingway's background influenced him to write this story because his actions, fears, morals, and feelings were similar to those of the main character Harry.

Overview

Harry, a writer, and his wife, Helen, are stranded while on a safari in Africa. A bearing burned out on their truck, and Harry is complaining about the gangrene that has
infected his leg because he did not apply iodine after he scratched it. As they wait for a rescue plane from Nairobi that he knows won't arrive on time, Harry spends his
time drinking and insulting Helen. Harry reviews his life, realizing that he wasted his talent through procrastination and luxury from a marriage to a wealthy woman
that he doesn't love.

Gangrene is a medical term used to describe the death of an area of the body. It develops when the blood supply is cut off to the affected part as a result of various
processes, such as infection, vascular (pertaining to blood vessels) disease, or trauma. Gangrene can involve any part of the body; the most common sites include the
toes, fingers, feet, and hands.
In a series of flashbacks that Harry has he recalls the mountains of Bulgaria and Constantinople, as well as the suddenly hollow, sick feeling of being alone in Paris.
Later, there were Turks, and an American poet talking nonsense about the Dada movement, and headaches and quarrels, and watching people whom he would later
write about. Uneasily, he recalls a boy who'd been frozen, his body half-eaten by dogs, and a wounded officer so entangled in a wire fence that his bowels spilled over
it.

Helen wakes, and taking a flashlight, walks toward Harry's cot. Seeing that his leg is dangling alongside the cot and that the dressings are pulled down, she calls his
name repeatedly. She listens for his breathing and can hear nothing. Outside the tent, the hyena whines — a cry that is strangely human.

As Harry lies on his cot, he is aware that vultures are walking around his makeshift camp, and a hyena lurks in the shadows. Knowing that he will die before he wakes,
Harry goes to sleep and dreams that the rescue plane is taking him to a snow covered summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Its Western summit is
called the Masai "Ngàje Ngài," the House of God, where he sees the legendary leopard.

Analysis

Hemingway opens the story talking about a "dried and frozen carcass of a leopard," close to the western summit and that no one has explained what the leopard was
seeking at that altitude.

During his flight to Kilimanjaro Harry sees this legendary leapord, which can be seen as immortality or otherwise a reward for taking a difficult road. In ways Harry
was a leapord at certain times in his life.

His youth, when he lived in a poor neighborhood of Paris as a writer

In the war, when he gave his last morphine pills for himself to the horribly suffering Williamson

On his deathbed, when he mentally composes flashbacks and uses his intention to write

When he stays loyal to his wife and does not confess to her that he never really loved her.

When Harry looked at Kilimanjaro, he saw it as a symbol of truth, idealism, and purity. When he died, tragic irony existed. The leopard died in a high, clean, well-
lighted place; as where Harry died rotting and stinking on the plains, leaving behind his wasted life and his failure to complete his desired projects.

It's mentioned that for the first time the "big birds" otherwise known as vultures have stopped circling around Harry and Helen and had begun to walk on the ground. It
seems almost as if they had known Harry was coming close to death.

All of the flashbacks Harry encountered dealt with brief things Harry had experienced in his past that he meant to write about but never got around to.

"In his novels and especially in his short stories, Hemingway often uses mountains to symbolize goodness, the purity, and cleanness, and he uses the plains as a symbol
of evil and confusion."

Ernest Hemingway is one of the most famous American writers of the 20th century. His novels and short stories were mostly about outdoorsmen, expatriates, soldiers,
and other men of action. Hemingway's life was quite interesting and he incorporated much of it into his novels and short stories.

Symbolism

The Leopard

"Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard” (Hemingway, 1).

The leopard is a creature of grace and strength; it symbolizes dignity, and is the antithesis of Harry.

Hemingway is expressing that through the arduous journey to the “House of God” the leopard has achieved immortality, it’s grace and dignity to be preserved atop
Kilimanjaro for eons.

The leopard’s journey to “God” is in complete contrast to Harry’s life; Harry has spent his life taking the easy route, living off of wealthy women and from a fear of
failure was disinclined to write about his greatest life experiences.

The Hyena

“Outside the tent the hyena made the same strange noise that awakened her. But she did not hear him for the beating of her heart.”(Hemingway, 15).

Hyena’s are creatures of deception and scavenging, the hyena is the animal embodiment of Harry.

Harry has spent his life deceiving women in order to gain luxury and comfort from them. Even as he is dying he maintains the deception “'I’ve never loved anyone else
the way I love you'. He slipped into the familiar lie he made his bread and butter by.”(Hemingway, 5).

his wife goes out and hunts for him while he lies on the cot, just like the hyena he lives off of the scraps of the mightier hunters.

The Plains/Mountains

“It’s western summit is called (..) the House of God”( Hemingway 1).

The plains of Africa are a volatile and precarious place; in the story the plains symbolize a place of punishment for Harry’s endangered spirit. It is on the plains that
Harry injures his leg, which infects and ultimately kills him

Due to Harry’s spiritual death, which happened long before his physical death he dies in the plains instead of the mountains. When Harry physically dies he envisions
himself flying to the House of God “all he could see (..) was the square top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that was where he was going.”(Hemingway, 15). It is
never revealed if Harry indeed makes it to the House of God, it is up to the reader to decide if he deserves to find God.

Gangrene
"Since the gangrene had started in his right leg he had no pain and with the pain the horror had gone and all he felt now was a great tiredness and anger that this was the
end of it"(Hemingway, 2).

Harry’s gangrenous leg is a parallel to his spiritual and creative self. His physical body is declining into the shameful decayed state in which his spirit has already
degenerated to.

Harry realizes that his spirit is decayed “ ‘Harry (..) You’re out of your head’ ‘No. I haven’t any head to go out of’”(Hemingway, 3).

It is because of this sad state that Harry has developed into that he takes the realization of his own death so lightly “Can’t you let a man die as comfortably as he can
without calling him names?”(Hemingway, 1).

In conclusions Harry dies a failure, far from the man he wishes he could’ve been.

Imagery

Ernest Hemingway is a master of imagery especially visual imagery which he is renowned for, this is very prevalent throughout The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

"He looked over to where the huge, filthy birds sat, their naked heads sunk in the hunched feathers".

"There was a log house, chinked white mortar, on a hill above the lake. There was a bell on a pole by the door to call the people in to meals. Behind the house were
fields and behind the fields was the timber. A line of lombardy poplars ran from the house to the dock".

The settings and the imagery in this story explain so much about Harry's life, what hes done. The settings are so vividly described that its almost like actually being
there.

Imagery is so overwhelming and important in this story, it brings us up and down. It shows us the important things in life and the places you cherish like "Place
Contrescarpe where the flower sellers dyed their flowers in the street and the dye ran over the paving where the autobus started and the old men and the women, always
drunk on wine and bad mare; the smell of dirty sweat and poverty". This imagery creates the feeling of an awful environment yet one where the protagonist had the
greatest times, it also shows the theme that money can spoil you and that its not always a good thing.

The Mountains of Kilimanjaro is the strongest and most representative piece of imagery in the story, we know that its just a mountain but its implied as a sort of heaven
or majestic place where one can rest for eternity which is shown by the leopard " Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one
has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude". The leopard has become this sacred symbol as it has entombed itself in a magical yet hostile environment
where a leopard would never be able to survive. Harry because he had three key events of good in his life that he is able to escape the same place.

Earnest Hemingway

Kilimanjaro is a snow covered mountain 19,710 feet high and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. It's western summit is called the "Masai" and is referred to as
the House of God.

Close to the western summit there is a frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at the altitude.

Plot Summary

- Takes place at a safari camp on the plains of Africa

- Harry (a writer) and his wife, Helen, are stranded after their truck breaks down on a safari

- Harry has contracted "gangrene" from a poorly treated scrape and he is expected to die shortly

- Harry mistreats his wife and quarrels with her saying that he doesn't really love her

- Harry has multiple flashbacks of old memories and experiences that often involve regret and self-pity

- In the end, Harry has a dream that he is saved and flies up to the summit of Kilimanjaro where the leopard carcass is, but quickly realizes where he is actually going
(implied that he goes to heaven) and he allows himself to let go of his past and dies of the gangrene.

Symbols

Leopard Carcass

-Symbol of God and immorality (a reward for taking the hard road in life)

-Harry himself could be considered a "leopard" at certain times (ex. acts of bravery and selflessness in the war; dedicated writer in a poor neighborhood in Paris; stays
loyal to his wife in very the end).

The Vultures

-They foreshadow and symbolize death approaching

(They circulate and watch Harry closely, attracted to his rotting flesh)

The Hyena

-Foreshadows Harry's death

(Sulks around the camp awaiting Harry's death)

-Represents the emptiness with which Harry fears and associates with death
Alcohol

-Represents giving up, the self-destruction of Harry, and his human instinct of primeval impulses

(He decides to drink even though he knows it is not good for him and his poor health)

Mount Kilimanjaro

-Symbolizes immortality/heaven

(Harry dreams of flying over the western summit as he dies)

-Represents truth, idealism & purity

(Harry dies in peace and acceptance in "the House of God")

Themes

Human Nature of Good vs Evil

(Man's Natural Capacity for Evil):

-In a time of desperation, contemplation and death, Harry is internally conflicted as he fights his natural impulses (to give up on life, drink, sleep with other women and
be cruel towards his wife) in order to be a better man and die with a more positive outlook on his life (by writing some of the things he never wrote, staying loyal to his
wife, and accepting his death peacefully as he enters "the House of God")

The Erosion of Values

The story emphasizes how easily values are lost and forgotten, but how it is still possible that they are recognized and regained

-The flashbacks throughout the story demonstrate the concerns of eroded values including lost love, drinking, revenge, and war. They are a mix of examples about self-
indulging, pleasure-seeking human conditions, and giving up/leaving unfinished business behind.

-Harry recognizes the erosion of these values from his flashbacks and it causes him to contemplate his life and how he really wants his to end.

(In the end he chooses to stay loyal to his wife, eat good food instead of drink, and write about the stories where good values are kept from his experiences)

Death:

Man's Spirit can Triumph Despite Death

1. Harry gave away his last morphine pills that he saved for himself to his friend in war who is in horrendous pain

2. Harry's intention to write (the mental writing of the flashbacks) in his painful dying state

3. Sacrificing himself to his wife as opposed to acquitting himself

Elements of Modernism

Lonely, Isolated Characters

Harry:

-dying if infection and disease

-does not enjoy the comfort and attempt at cheering him up from his wife

-has had many wives but still struggles to find the right one

-keeps to himself about his fears and regrets

-stranded in the plains of Africa with only his wife

Disillusionment

Harry:

-He does not know what he wants and he often allows his mind to wonder, dwelling on past negative experiences and regrets

-After being with several women, he is never satisfied

-Even when he thought he would finally be happy with Helen, his feelings changes and lost his love for her

-After certain flashbacks, he is disappointed with life and decides that he doesn't want to end his life miserable

Mistrust of Institutions like Religion and

Plain subjects explored/The Everyday details' Value

Marriage:
-It's meaning and vows are not of importance to Harry as he has married many women and he suddenly no longer loves the woman he is currently married to.

Perspective & Psychology of Characters

-Hemingway lets us into Harry's mind with his flashbacks from war, ex-lovers, at-home experiences and past travels.

-Harry keeps to himself about his feelings and regrets, but with the insight of the flashbacks and his reactions to them, we can see the truth.

Clear, Fixed Moral Position by the End

"Humans have natural negative impulses/instincts...

(Shown with Harry’s sexual desires and his want to give up on his wife and his own life)

but, it is possible for our good spirit to triumph all, even death"

(Shown with some of Harry’s positive experience flashbacks and with his acceptance to his death as he decides to stay with his wife and use his last strength to write
what he never got the chance to write)

The Snow of Kilimanjaro

Through the use of symbolism, contrasting themes, and characterization in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", Hemingway seeks to convey the universal struggle between
success and failure.

Writitng Style

In the book "The Snows Of Kilimanjaro", Hemingway transfers between "real time" and Harry's past in Italics.

Tone

Harry's tone shifts back and forth between resentment and indifference in the beginning.

"Maybe you could never write them, and that was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know, now." (Hemingway pg 41)

Harry's tone toward the end suggests that he's come to terms with his fate, and does truly accept it.

“I’m getting bored with dying as with everything else, he thought”. (Hemingway pag.54)

Helen's tone is constantly concerned or worried for Harry's well being.

"' Wouldn't you like some more broth?' the woman asked him now...

'I would like a whiskey-soda'

'It's not good for you'" (Hemingway pg 52)

Symbols

The Vultures:

The vultures foreshadow doom approaching, they are a death omen gathered in the tree above Harry waiting for him to die so they can feed off the dead.

The Leopard:

The Leopard is mentioned at the beginning of the short story, the animal symbolizes strength, and success.

"Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude"(Hemingway, pg
39).

The leopard also represents the type of person Harry wishes to become, successful and strong, and what he accomplishes in his vision.

Kilimanjaro:

The summit of Kilimanjaro is an obvious symbol for Heaven, but also for success, which is what Harry hopes to obtain.

Hemingway's description and imagery surrounding the mountain relates to Harry finally reaching success after dealing with the struggles and failure in life.

The Hyena:

The hyena symbolizes death and failure

As death: whenever Harry felt a wave of death overcome him, the hyena was most always involved.

As failure: The hyena also symbolized Harry's failure in life. Hyenas are thought to be pathetic creatures and are viewed negatively, much like Harry was when he
gave up and failed as a writer.

Analysis

Hemingway lists everything that Harry wishes that he'd accomplished through the use of flashbacks and the speech immediately prior to each flashback. He also uses
many symbols to show the strong element of death and torment in Harry's last moments.
 With the multiple symbols, and contrasting themes Hemingway develops a story that represents the struggles faced in every day life, making the story a universal
truth that represents everyone's struggle and desire for success.

Summery

Main Character: Harry accompanied by his wife Helen

Setting: Serengeti, Africa

Harry is dying from Gangrene

He reflects on his life with regret.

Symbols

help ask the Question:

"Where does Harry go after his death"

Hyena

a messenger for death

Every time the Hyena appears, death is near

The Wound

the death threat

Harry is self destructive

Rotten Flesh = "Rotten Poetry"

"It's painless"

The Hallucination

He flies through dark clouds to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro

The flight of the soul

Harry ascends from earth

Kilimanjaro is a symbol for heaven

Mount Kilimanjaro

“The house of God”

Heaven

a high place

bright

Snow = clean and pure

The Leopard

Harry’s contrast

dies at the highest point in Africa

eternal life

lived a noble life

The Symbols

...don't answer Questions

The Snows Of Kilimanjaro

Possible answers

He goes to Heaven

He goes to Hell

He simply dies without a soul going anywhere

Ernest Hemingway

Born: 21, July, 1899 in Illinois, Oak Park

His father was Clarence Edmonds Hemingway and his mother was Grace Hall Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway began writing as a little kid. When he was older, Hemingway's father was hoping he would follow in his footsteps and attend Oberlin College, were
he would go to medical school to become a doctor, but Hemingway rejected his offer trying to follow his dreams of becoming a writer, and got a job at Kansas City
Star with the help of his uncle.

During World War I, Hemingway joined, but was admitted into the Red Cross as an ambulance driver because he had a defective eye. He was then sent to Europe, but
his legs were severely injured in the Austro-Italian front by an explosion. The injury was so bad that he almost needed to have his leg amputated, but insisted it wasn’t
and he faced the suffering. Hemingway was sent to a hospital in Milan.

In Milan Hemingway fell in love with a nurse with the name of Agnes Von Kurowsky. The nurse told Hemingway that in order for them to marry; he must be able to
earn his living. Hemingway then returned to the U.S, but shortly after received a message from Agnes confessing her engagement to an Italian. He began working as a
journalist in Chicago as a foreign correspondent of the Toronto Star.

While on Ernest’s trip to Eruope, he encountered major American journalists Max Eastman and George Seldes who worked for big companies and helped promote his
work. Lincoln Steffens, a greatly known journalist from New York was very impressed with Hemingways work. Hemingway spent much time exploring and travelling
around Europe.

In December 1920, Ernest met Hadley Richardson and got married on September, 3rd, 1921. In October, 1923, Ernest had a son, John Hemingway. Short after, in 1925,
his first collection “In Our Time’ was published. A year later “The Sun Also Rises” was published, which brought attention to literary critics. Hemingway was a
growing figure and was attracting much attention from other journalists and writers. Also in 1925, Hemingway began an affair with Pauline Pfeiffer, and in June 28,
1928 he had a son with her, Patrick Hemingway. Three years later, November 12, 1931, Hemingway had another son, Gregory Hancock Hemingway.

Later Hemingway reported to the Spanish Civil War and in 1937, he went to Spain. He suffered a divorce with his wife Pauline, but shortly after remarried to Martha
Gellhorn in 1940. During 1944-1945, Hemingway was in Europe as a war correspondent. After the war he moved to Cuba. In Cuba, Hemingway wrote “The Old Man
and the Sea”, in which he won the Pulitzer Prize and became and international celebrity. In 1946, Hemingway remarried to Mary Welsh. His family suffered many
accidents such as car accidents, broken bones ect. This was a tough time for Ernest, as well as many of his journalist friends who assisted him getting published had
passed. During these times Ernest became an alcoholic to deal with the injuries.

In October 1954 Hemingway received the Nobel Prize in Literature, although he felt he did not deserve it. During the 1950’s, Hemingway was reminded of a trunk of
journals he stored in Paris, which he began to work on to renew to publish. In the 1960’s, Hemingway began to get very ill with problems like high blood pressure and
liver disease, and was worried about money and safety. He was also paranoid that the FBI was watching him, when in fact they were. His wife Mary was worried for
him, and made him go to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where he would be treated for his hypertension. While there, he reported to have had electrotherapy over 15 times,
and was said to be released “damaged”.

Not long after, Hemingway committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun on July 2nd, 1961. Around his final years, it is said he acted much like
his father who also committed suicide. Like his father, Ernest Hemingway was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, which is a disorder that doesn’t allow for people to
metabolize iron, resulting in physical and mental deterioration. His drinking during his lifetime also affected this. His sister and brother also committed suicide.

Ernest Hemingway was an adventurous writer who travelled the world, and got many life experiences in which he can write about. Over his lifetime, he wrote 25
books.

Plot

The plot of The Snows of Kilimanjaro is about how Harry and his wife Hellen go to Africa to go on a safari trip, but also to get away. Before Hellen and Harry lived in
Paris, where they were very wealthy and rich and lived a high class life. Harry was planning to go to Africa so he could get away from the life in Paris and start again.
After Harry gets gangrene and is aware he is close to dying, he begins to think back about life and all hes done. He starts to regret how he lived in Paris, and how he
lived in comfort with the rich. He also is disappointed in himself with the fact that he has become what he despised of and how he has not done all that he wished to
accomplish and he hasn't achieved his goal of becoming a writer. Instead, he lived off the riches of his wife and did not worry or care about tomorrow, but rather lived
for the moment. He also thinks that before he dies he has to kill everything off; his wife and all of his memories. Harry feels as if he hasn't lived his life to the fullest
potential, and because his life didn't turn out as he visioned it and wanted it, his life and memory are not necessary to be remembered, but rather wants them forgotten.
Harry then goes on to think about all of his past experiences of the war, his first love, and regrets that he had not written these experiences down but rather just let them
pass by. He is now accepting the fact that death is upon him, and because his life wasn't what he expected and wanted, he regrets how he lived his life in the moment,
and he lets death take him, not looking into the future.

Questions/Predictions

Why is the frozen leopard used to open the short story? What does it symbolize? It is used to represent death and to foreshadow death that will occur in the story.

Will Harry survive his injury? The story will end with a large moral and Harry will die.

Does Harry truly love Helen? No, Harry only loved Helen for her money.

What was Harry's motivation to go to Africa? He needed to escape habit and rediscover himself.

Why is it so easy for Harry to come to terms with death? Harry feels like a failure and has given all he has to offer.

Purpose

Audience

Subject

Themes
Tone

Purpose

The purpose of Hemingway's short story "Snows of Kilimanjaro" is to express his views on life. The flashbacks that Hemingway uses in this short story are all past
experience from his life. He lived in Paris when he was a young up and coming writer. He was enlisted in WW1 and saw combat. Both Harry and Hemingway had a
bitter feelings toward women and married more than once. The similarities are hard to miss and makes this piece of work more personal. He wants to show us that
although he has lived a full and adventurous life he is tormented by his experiences in WW1 and not accomplishing all of his dreams of being a writer.

Audience

The audience for this short story would be young adults from the ages of 20-30 to show them what life could be like in the future if they always live life in the moment.

Subject

The subject of the story would be life and death. The whole story goes through Harry's life, how he has lived his life and how he could have accomplished more. Death
is shown largely through symbolism. The white, mysterious mountain of Kilimanjaro is one symbol. From the very beginning, the reader is told that the natives call the
mountain "The House of God." And so it will become the final resting place for Harry as he continues to rot away with gangrene. The hyena and vultures that surround
Harry throughout the story foreshadow Harry's inevitable death.

Themes

I found two themes to this shorts story:

The acceptance of death and how people handle dying.

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it - Thomas Monson

Tone

The Tone of this short story is regretful and reminiscent. Harry is regretful that he has not done more in his life and has lived off of his rich wife for years and has
became what he despised since he was a young man in his early life in Paris. He also regrets not becoming an accomplished writer as he once dreamed. He reminisces
throughout the story about going to places like Paris, Thrace, and surviving World War 1.

Setting

The setting of The Snows of Kilimanjaro takes place in a remote location close to the mountain of Kilimanjaro. While on a safari trip, the truck breaks down causing
them to stay put in their location. He also contracts gangrene from the result of an untreated cut, causing him to stay put. The story also refers to Paris, where Hellen
and Hary both lived before they came on their safari trip to Africa. The time period of the story is during the 1930's, around the time when it was released. The
atmosphere and mood of the setting is depressing because it is Harry's last few days to live, and he is reminiscing about life and thinking back on all the times that he
had, and how he didnt fully fulfill his life and how he lived off his wifes riches.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty / The Snows of Kilimanjaro

Both Walter and Harry become fed up with their stagnant lives and decide the only way to escape them is to embark on a life enriching journey.

Walter Mitty, an employee of Life magazine is inspired by the astounding photographs around him and comes to the realization that his life is not fulfilled and decides
to pursue his dreams of photography. Much like Harry, a writer who has dulled his senses by indulging in comfort for far to long with out taking risks decides that the
only way to improve his writing is to change his life style.

Walter's voyage provided him with time to contemplate his relationships and focus on new love and prospects for the future. Harry's excursion gave himself and his
wife a chance to reignite the spark in their marriage as Harry had grown to resent her. Both trips in this instance while intending to benefit their respective professions
also had the ulterior motive of developing relationships.

Harry's trip while ultimately ending in his death allowed him the opportunity to contemplate his life and come to terms with his short comings and success. For Walter
this trip reinvigorates his life and he learns the true value of life and not to waste it. Both pieces of media teach us about the true importance time holds on our life, and
while extremely finite the value of our experiences is infinite.

The snows of Kilimanjaro

The story takes place on the plains of Africa, where main characters Harry and Helen are on safari. One may assume it takes place in the country of Tanzania, as the
title and a sequence towards the end make reference to the great mountain of Kilimanjaro.

What you are hearing now is tribal music from Tanzania

Harry is in critical condition because of an infection in his leg, and thus has flashbacks taking us to several other locations...

Secondary Settings

& a Bit of Context

The story takes place over the course of one afternoon/evening.

Harry has many flashbacks brought on by his critical condition and the regret of not writing about his experiences.

He remembers times during and just after WWI. After fighting in battles, he traveled around Europe.

After this period he spent time in Paris.

One may think of these places as just locations Harry has visited, but they really represent the fact that he's now facing the end. He's reflecting on the excitement he's
seen and he regrets not taking advantage of these times and writing about them.

Context

Given the post-war time period of the flashbacks, it is a given that most of the flashbacks include times of partying for Harry, as well as times of leisure helping him
readjust to society.

This also leads into the prosperity of Paris during this time, as Harry spends time there.

The war still affects him, however, because he has confrontations with Austrian soldiers a few times.

Plot

Harry and his wife Helen are on safari on the plains of Africa. Harry sees this trip as a way for him to reinvent himself or restart his life.

While on safari, Harry scratches his leg. He meant to put iodine on it but failed to treat the wound at all. Due to this fact, the wound has lead to gangrene in his leg.

The truck that Harry and Helen are riding in while on safari has broken down, leaving them stranded. Harry feels death coming for him.

They wait for a rescue plane, flying in from Nairobi. Harry knows the plane will not arrive in time to save him. He spends what time he has left drinking and insulting
Helen while internally reviewing the events of his life. Harry regrets squandering his writing talent by procrastinating the documentation of his experiences. He also
feels his marriage to Helen is a sham, and that he only entered it to take advantage of her wealth.

Plot (cont.)

Harry lies on a cot, taking note of a wake of vultures looming near the "camp" they've set up. He knows he isn't going to make it through the night.

Harry dreams that the rescue plane arrives and flies him to the snowy summit of Kilimanjaro.

Helen wakes up to a hyena's strange cries. She goes to check on Harry on his cot and discovers that his infected leg is dangling over the side with the bandages pulled
off. She calls out to him repeatedly with no response. Harry has died.

Themes

Facing death - "It's painless." Harry says, describing his infected leg. He reflects on his experiences throughout the story, as well as his regrets.

Money can't buy happiness - Harry feels as though he has been bought by his wife Helen's money, yet is not happy with the life he's lived.

Live with no regret - Harry wishes he wrote about his experiences. He always dreamed of doing just that, but put it off continuously until finally it was too late. Readers
are most likely to walk away from this story feeling they should fulfill their dreams to the best of their abilities.

Symbols

Snow - Many of Harry's memories involve snow. Two prominent examples being the blizzard in which he played cards and the winter at a cabin where he hid a war
deserter. This and the snow atop Kilimanjaro are symbols of purity. The latter being seen only when he finally dies.

The frozen leopard atop Kilimanjaro - Many have seen the frozen remains of a leopard atop the mountain. Nobody knows what it was doing up there, but it is almost a
godlike symbol.