payment page
Snow
In “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” snow appears as a diverse and variable symbol, taking on multiple important meanings within the different facets of Harry’s life. Perhaps most significant is the snow at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro—the titular symbol of the piece—which is mentioned only at the very beginning and at the very end of the short story. Kilimanjaro is a tall, snow-covered mountain. Near its summit rests the frozen carcass of a leopard. These facts about Kilimanjaro are presented in the same lines that also note the mountain’s peak is referred to as “the house of God.” As such, elements such as snow and cold take on a divine quality in being associated with God. At the end of the story, when Harry seemingly dies of gangrene, he is transported on a mystical plane to the peak of the mountain, where he notices the blindingly white snow. This snow is not only a marker of divinity but also a marker of cleanliness and purity, a stark contrast to Harry’s sickly, decaying life and body.
Snow makes another appearance as a symbol of contentment, freedom, and youth when Harry skis down a mountain in the Austrian Alps on Christmas Day. The presence of snow in this memory marks it as a time in Harry’s life that was close to purity and perfection. In this memory, he feels free and happy. His association of snow with happiness and independence marks his trip to Kilimanjaro’s peak—and, symbolically, to death—as a wonderful and meaningful return to purity as opposed to a frightening or tragic end of life.
Snow also symbolizes death. Harry’s flight to Kilimanjaro serves as an allegory for his transition from life to death, with the blinding white snow at its peak symbolizing his departure from his impure mortal existence. Snow is associated with death in one of Harry’s memories, when he recalls explorer Fridtjof Nansen, who was tasked with moving displaced peoples across national borders during World War I, miscalculating how much snow would obstruct a mountain pass he hoped to use for human transportation. Nansen believes there won’t be snow on the pass and sends a group of migrants into the mountains. However, Nansen is wrong, and the migrants die in the snow.
Wild animals
In “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” wild animals serve as symbols that mark different points of Harry’s transition from life into death, as well as his potential transition from impurity to purity. The first animals that Harry points out in the story are a group of vultures, who lurk near Harry and Helen’s campsite. Vultures often circle near sick animals or carcasses, as they are scavengers, meaning they feed on prey that is already dead. The vultures’ presence near Harry suggests that they see him as a sick animal that will soon be dead and available to eat. The hyena that stalks outside the campsite also represents Harry’s imminent demise. However, rather than waiting to prey on Harry like the vultures, the hyena seems to be a symbol of death itself. In fact, death appears as a hyena when it finally approaches Harry and lays its head on his cot. Harry even tells Helen that death doesn’t take the stereotypical form of a man carrying a scythe, but rather takes the form of a hyena. Additionally, Helen awakens to find Harry dead after she hears the strange, uncanny howl of the hyena.
Finally, the leopard, mentioned only once in the italicized lines at the beginning of the story, symbolizes the quest for divinity and cleanliness. The summit of Kilimanjaro is called “the House of God,” and near the peak lies a leopard, perfectly frozen and immortalized. The story claims that “no one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude,” but it seems likely that the leopard, like Harry, was searching for a respite from the violence and sickness of life in the pure, untouched snow of Kilimanjaro. While Harry rots away from gangrene in the hot African plains, no rot will ever touch the body of the leopard. When Harry dies, he is transported from his decaying, uninspired life to the white summit of Kilimanjaro, the house of God. Both Harry and the leopard find that purity and divinity can be achieved through death.
