Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” is a short story packed with many symbols and hidden meaning. Generally, it is about a man’s disease, his painful regret, and his inevitable demise. However, there is much more to the story than simply that.
More substance can be found buried underneath the surface of the story. There is significant symbolic meaning scattered throughout it that adds to it and enriches it. Shoveling deep into the story is crucial in order to dig out much of its buried material. The symbols in the story are weighty and expressive. They hold a substantial importance in understanding the story’s true meaning and purpose.
Harry, the main character in the story is caught up in a tough situation. Gangrene has infected his leg while on vacation with his wife in East …show more content…
The highest point of the mountain is sacred. It is a symbol of truth, benevolence, heaven, and clarity. The things the mountain represents intertwine with Harry in several ways.
Harry knows the truth of the sin he has committed. He has not pursued the passion he was meant to pursue during his lifetime. Furthermore, Harry displays his benevolence by helping others, which is presented through his flashbacks. He sacrificed the last of his morphine pills for a warrior in need, even though he needed them just as much. Near the end of the story, Harry imagines the beautiful mountaintop of Kilimanjaro. It suggests that he met a peaceful end, and has come to terms with death as an unavoidable fate.
Moreover, another important symbol in the story is the giggling hyena. Harry hears a hyena giggle. It annoys him deeply and he expresses how he would like to shoot it. Factually, a hyena’s giggle represents that it wants to be left alone. Similarly, throughout the story there are times when Harry would like to be left alone to die comfortably. “Can’t you let a man die as comfortably as he can without calling him names?” (pg,
More substance can be found buried underneath the surface of the story. There is significant symbolic meaning scattered throughout it that adds to it and enriches it. Shoveling deep into the story is crucial in order to dig out much of its buried material. The symbols in the story are weighty and expressive. They hold a substantial importance in understanding the story’s true meaning and purpose.
Harry, the main character in the story is caught up in a tough situation. Gangrene has infected his leg while on vacation with his wife in East …show more content…
The highest point of the mountain is sacred. It is a symbol of truth, benevolence, heaven, and clarity. The things the mountain represents intertwine with Harry in several ways.
Harry knows the truth of the sin he has committed. He has not pursued the passion he was meant to pursue during his lifetime. Furthermore, Harry displays his benevolence by helping others, which is presented through his flashbacks. He sacrificed the last of his morphine pills for a warrior in need, even though he needed them just as much. Near the end of the story, Harry imagines the beautiful mountaintop of Kilimanjaro. It suggests that he met a peaceful end, and has come to terms with death as an unavoidable fate.
Moreover, another important symbol in the story is the giggling hyena. Harry hears a hyena giggle. It annoys him deeply and he expresses how he would like to shoot it. Factually, a hyena’s giggle represents that it wants to be left alone. Similarly, throughout the story there are times when Harry would like to be left alone to die comfortably. “Can’t you let a man die as comfortably as he can without calling him names?” (pg,