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Theme, motif, and symbol in the snows of mountain Kilimanjaro.

Symbols, motifs, and themes are very important in story writing. The motif allows the

writer to create a narrative idea to the readers. Themes are the major ideas of the work that is

being written. Themes represent the question behind the number of events that are in the story.

Symbols in the story enable the writer to elaborate complicated ideas as well as enabling the

reader to attain a visual sensory involvement (WIEHARDT).

Therefore, a symbol in the story contributes to a motif which strengthens the theme.

For this study, the story written by Ernest Hemingway knowing as The Snows of

Kilimanjaro was analyzed for the theme, motif, and the symbols.

Theme: One ought to live life to the fullest because one can not know what will happen in

future.

Hemingway was a good novel writer and some of the novels he wrote are A Farewell to

Arms, The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea and For When the Bell Tolls. This story of

the “The Snows of Kilimanjaro “tells to learn how to live our lives on this world to the fullest

while still alive because you can’t know when your time on earth is up (Research).
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Ernest Hemingway wrote this story reflecting on what had happened on the dying Harry. Harry

suffered from the gangrene infection in his leg which was very painful that his wife Helen tried

what she can to save him from the pain and probably death. However, much Helen tried to save his

husband, the infection was very painful finally it claimed his life. This simply shows how life is

unpredictable and no one can tell what is to happen tomorrow. Just like anyone else, Harry and

Helen left home very happy in car and unfortunately, their car got a problem along the way. When

they stopped to make their car, a thorn pierced Harry in his leg and that is how the infection started,

they had to camp for the wife to the best she can to save her husband.

Therefore, before tomorrow comes, it is always good to live life the best you can live today as

there is no more tomorrow. This means that all the wishes you have to be accomplished today, try

always to accomplish them today. Always people have to what can make them happy and also do

what hurts one at all times when alive, rather than waiting to do that tomorrow.

Symbol: The hyena that came to visited the camp the Harry was in showed that there would be

continued presence of death.

Knowing the symbolism in a story is very crucial in helping the readers to know the true

meaning if the writer. The symbols in the snows of Kilimanjaro are the hyena that visited the

camp and the vultures that were flying over the camp which represented death of Harry. The

flock of scavenging vultures and the hyna circled the safari camp in which Harry was when he

has the gangrene infection. Given that the vultures and the hyena eat human flesh, their coming

to the camp signified the death of Harry. In the story, the vultures appeared at the moment when

Harry was thinking of his own death and when he saw them, he pointed towards them and
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confessed that he was dying. The birds gathered the more over the camp as Harry creeped closer

to death. The birds could no longer wait on the ground but were flying a round the tree in the

camp. The growing numbers of the vultures indicated the great sense of dread and momentum

for Harry’s death.

The visiting of the hyena to the camp too was directly related to the death of Harry at

different circumstances in the story. The first time Harry felt death approaching he noted that the

hyena skidded shortly at the edge of the camp. The hyena represented the physical fate that was

waiting for Harry and made his mind become more confused and weaker. Harry later told Hellen

that he felt death coming closer to him and it laid its head on his cot. When Harry passed on, the

Hyena made a loud cry that awoke Hellen alerting her that Harry had died.

Motif: Death

In the story of the Snows of mountain Kilimanjaro, death appeared directly and

indirectly. The injury the Harry got showed that he had less time to live. Other appearances of

death included the hunting animals visiting the camp, the buzzards, and the breaking of the down

part of the truck in which Harry and Hellen moved.

The writer of the story wrote that there was a carcass at mountain Kilimanjaro that the

leopard had to eat. This is an indication that death plays an important role in the story. The

deadly infection that Harry developed. Harry even mentioned the three ways in which he wanted

to die which were, shooting him, he did not want to move, and asking Hellen to leave him die

comfortably. He did not want to dies because he was a coward but because he felt it would be

more comfortable for him to die than waiting for the plane or truck that would never arrive.
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Harry had for long suffered with intense pain from the injury he got and just wished to die to

stop feeling the pain. However, later on the pain that Harry had caused him to die.
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References

Hemingway, Ernest. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." 2019.

Research, Bartleby. "What is the theme of the Snows of Kilimanjaro." 2020.

WIEHARDT, GINNY. "Symbolism in Fiction Writing." (2019).

<https://www.thebalancecareers.com/symbol-definition-fiction-writing-1277138>.