"The
Snows of Kilimanjaro" is one of Ernest Hemingway's most masterfully written short stories,
and it has plenty of linguistic style and literary devices embedded in the text to keep even the
closest of readers occupied for a long time. Hemingway's doing a lot in this story. For our
purposes, though, I think it would be best to focus on two things in particular: economy of
language and symbolism.
Economy of language: this trait is a classic
characteristic of Hemingway's style. His writing is most commonly known for simplicity and lack
of needless stylistic flourishes. Indeed, Hemingway's prose could be reasonably compared to a
strong cup of black coffee, as both are robust, plain, and simple. Understatements are a
particularly key trait in this story. Often, Hemingway writes about important things in an
indirect fashion; he never directly says what's happening, but the reader can guess obliquely by
paying attention. In "Kilimanjaro," Hemingway doesn't immediately tell us hisis dying.
Rather, we're allowed to figure this out for ourselves based on the characters' indirect,
clipped dialogue and a few hints Hemingway throws our way. As a result, the story's deeper
meaning unfurls indirectly, so we appreciate it much more once we finally understand
it.
Symbolism: all of "Kilimanjaro" can be summed up in
Hemingway's brief description of a frozen leopard near the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro at the
beginning of the story. The leopard can be seen as a symbol for seeking and struggling to reach
a higher purpose or meaning, but ultimately falling short in the process. This same concept is
what much of the rest of the story is about, as the protagonist Harry laments the literary
talents he failed to develop to the fullest. As such, the leopard becomes a literary device that
symbolically represents the idea of failing in the process of striving for great things, and so
it also becomes the heart of the whole short story.
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