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  • Essay / Representation of the theme of death and its literary analysis in The Snows of Kilimanjaro

    Analysis of The Snows of KilimanjaroThe Snows of Kilimanjaro, a short story by Hemingway, expresses an incredibly solemn, yet pensive, theme of death and regret. The main character of the story, a man named Harry, develops an infection after venturing to Africa and his health deteriorates from there. As the man lies dying, he begins to reflect on his life, his past decisions, and everything he has yet to accomplish. Hemingway seems to use death, in this play, by representing how it can strengthen our aspirations for greatness, primarily because it emphasizes our mortality and indicates how important it is to achieve our goals as long as we can. The author addresses this theme through numerous symbolic references to death, such as the mention of “buzzards” and “vultures”. It further illustrates its message through the setting, which plays a very important role in the story. Finally, Hemingway's depiction of marital conflict seems to express Harry's dissatisfaction with his own life. In Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro, death is used to emphasize the brevity of life and the importance of accomplishment through the use of clever symbolism, an allegorical framework and domestic conflicts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay One of the most powerful literary elements Hemingway uses are his constant allusions to death. At the beginning of the story, Harry notices vultures and hyenas circling around his camp. He talks about the breakdown of his truck, the frozen carcass of a leopard and the deadly smell that emanates from it. All of these symbols relate to the decadence of Harry's life and writing career. Even its infection reinforces this transmission of putrefaction. Hemingway also uses these symbols of waste to further suggest the life Harry took for granted, seeming to make the reader more aware of the brevity of life and how one must achieve what he can, while he can. can. Towards the end of the story, Harry feels death approaching him, seeming to be a creature moving closer and closer to him. This reinforces the idea that death seems to appear like a shadow and awaits its victim. The personification here again illustrates Hemingway's message, as death can strike at any time, ending anyone's life and therefore their quest for greatness. The story clearly represents this point: "She came even closer to him and now he couldn't talk to her, and when she saw that he couldn't talk, she came a little closer, and now he tried to send her away without speaking, but he moved towards him so that all his weight was on his chest, and while he was crouching there and he could neither move nor speak...” (page 14). An important aspect of the literature used in this story is the setting. Hemingway places the beginning of the plot in a small camp in Africa. Here, the main character contracts and develops his infection. However, the author describes this place as "...a pleasant camp under tall trees against a hill, with good water, and nearby, an almost dry waterhole where the sand grouses flew in the morning." » (page 2). Despite the aesthetic attributes of the location, there appear to be multiple references to death, perhaps suggesting that death awaits one who leads a wasted life, no matter how luxurious. As Harry dies at the end of the play, he dreams of being rescued and flown to Mount Kilimanjaro, which can be translated as "the house of God". Using