The Snows Of Kilimanjaro Analysis

Summer English Assignment: Mrs. James

Ernest Hemmingway’s short story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” shares a dying man’s last interactions and thoughts, whilst exploring all of the stories he procrastinated writing throughout his life. It begins with a man and a woman bickering as they wait for a rescue plane. The man has contracted gangrene and is close to death. The setting changes as the man experiences a series of flashbacks that carry a feeling of loss. Harry reflects on his life and takes ownership of his role in his wasted life. As scavenging animals draw near, he realizes that he is at the end of his life. As he dies, he journeys to Mount Kilimanjaro, which is representative of heaven (or an afterlife), where he sees the legendary leopard mentioned at the beginning of the story. In contrast, the short story “Two Words,” written by Isabel Allende explores the life of Belisa Crepusculario who makes a living dealing in spoken words. The story opens with a description of her rough childhood and goes on to explain how she learned to read, write, and share stories. The men of a powerful bandit, “The Colonel,” roughly take her captive while at market one day. She meets the powerful man and helps him sway
The short story would retain its integrity if small passages and portions were eliminated. It does, however, retain internal consistency. The author switches back and forth between the couple’s bickering and the man’s thoughts and hallucinations constantly. Therefore, while all parts are not required to create an organic whole, the story remains whole. Allende’s short story provides much background knowledge for the reader, some of which could be taken out and the story would still maintain its message and intrigue. The plot is fairly straightforward, yet not necessarily consistent, as it does not follow a pattern as Hemmingway’s story