Themes and Characters of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
Themes and Characters of "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
With millions of deported Jewish and around sixty million lost souls, World War II was most probably the worst blood bath humanity ever experienced. In addition, its numerous disturbing events, all under the command of one man, influenced people’s daily lives: their habits, their hopes and especially their vision of life. After the war, in order to recuperate the lost time, people, repressed by the tragedies, wanted to live life to its fullest and, by seeking happiness, they found an escape valve for all the pressure caused by the war. Ernest Hemingway, an author touched by the horrific consequences of war, expressed his notion of life and happiness in his short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”. In fact, in his short story, Hemingway explores the protagonist’s laziness, emphasizes on the animal symbolism and represents Sisyphus of the ancient Greek mythology by his opposite to suggest that perseverance is the key to happiness.
The main character, Harry, demonstrates his laziness which results into his unconscious desire to die by neglecting his own infection, by refusing to express his feelings and by going after easy money women make. The fact that “[Harry forgot] to put iodine on when [he] first abolished [his leg]” (1655) shows negligence towards his own body and especially laziness. Furthermore, since the gangrene on Harry’s right leg causes him to weaken and to die, his own carelessness and sloth lead him to his death and thus symbolize his unconscious desire to kill himself. In addition, as “he had saved to write [his thoughts] until he knew enough to write them well” (1654) Harry stops writing even though it is his career, clearly demonstrating his passivity. He thus ceases to express his feelings and his thoughts through his writings causing an emotional build-up within his unconscious that results into an outburst. In Harry’s case, he “quarrel[s]” (1653) with his wife, Helen. Moreover, his regular alcohol consumption demonstrates his constant desire to repress his feelings creating a more important outburst, calling his wife a “rich bitch” (1657). Also, by accusing his latest wife’s “bloody money” (1655) for his failure, he blames himself for it as he is the one who scavenges for women’s money. By depending on his wife, Helen’s money, Harry is clearly overpowered by his own laziness and Hemingway uses the latter’s characteristic in order to show that, with no motivation,...