The Snows Of Kilimanjaro Essay

One’s perspective of death often changes when death is imminent. Ernest Hemingway's character Harry, from his short story, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, records the events that lead up to the main character, Harry’s, death. Hemingway saw firsthand the realities of death and despair from war during his time as an ambulance driver in WWI. Many suffered from disease and strife during this time of war. Harry’s character most likely is based on Hemingway’s experiences during the war and his travels there after. Harry is suffering from gangrene that he acquired from an accident while traveling in Africa. As his condition worsened, we share in Harry’s narrative of how he faces the oncoming of death and how his perspective changes. .
Harry’s demeanor …show more content…
With Harry going through his life, he realizes that his biggest regret in his life was not writing everything he had done and experienced down. He then blames his wife, Helen, for not achieving his goal in writing, by her wealthy and luxurious life he married into. Harry since blamed his wife for her money ruining his writing career, he started to become aggressive, ”Your damned money was my armour”pg.830. This is the first evidence that Ernest Hemingway uses to start, Harry’s events that lead to up to his death. Harry at this time did not have any physical pain about dying or physical pain in general due to his gangrene infection but, more of a internal and mental pain. Harry starts out by by taking his pain on his wife.”You can take my leg off and that might stop it though, I doubt it. Or you can shoot …show more content…
He is watching the vultures in case he ever wants to write about- makes you think there is a possibility he thinks he may survive, says he is dying and he knows the possibility there is..The disease in his leg is making him physically tired. He just care anymore now that he is so tired and drained. “The horror had gone”,he was horrified of the situation and death, but now seems indifferent towards death and angry that he will not he will not finish his writing. When the pain went away and the infection set in, he had a sense that it was bad and death was a possibility, as the infection progressed and was more tired. He quit being so concerned with death. He may have given up on surviving as the story goes on because his wife warns him of not drinking alcohol and he asks for it. He is very honest or too almost callous and he doesn’t mind hurting his wife’s feelings. He just says he is tired and doesn’t want to try anymore. He goes into the dreamlike state of flashbacks. He thinks of his time in the war and death doesn’t seem to bother him. He is cruel to his wife the keep his mind off of the situation but, his mind is deteriorating and he tells he is mad and crazy. The birds come closer as death is closer He wanted to write in order to have an excuse for his lazy, indulgent lifestyle- he was going to write about the things he did so that he was different from the other