Concetti Chiave
- Harry, an American writer, is dying from gangrene in a Tanzanian safari camp after a hunting accident.
- As he awaits a plane to Nairobi, he reflects on significant moments from his past, including his childhood and war experiences.
- His relationship with Helen, a wealthy widow in Africa, represents a trade-off of love for financial security.
- Harry's dream during his final moments blurs the line between reality and fantasy, envisioning a plane rescue.
- The story's experimental structure blends dialogue and action with introspective flashbacks, highlighting death as a key theme.
What were Harry's final moments?
The Protagonist is an American writer, Harry who is dying in a safari campi in Tanzania, near the border with Kenya, beacuse of gangrene in his leg after a hunting accident. While lying on his coat, waiting for the plain which should come and take him to a hospital in Nairobi, he recalls th emost important events of his past life, his childhood and boyhood, his work as a war correspondent during the Greek-Turkish War of 1922 and during the First World War, his relationship with Helen, the rich widow who is with him in Africa and whose money he has sold his talent.
Dreams and reality
He dies from Gangrene during the night, but, in the moment of his death, he dreams that the plane he has been waiting for has finally come and carried himoff, not, however, to the "square top of Kilimanjaro", near the frozen carcass of a leopard.
Talking about the structure and style of the story both are experimental, in the sense that it alternates dialogue and action with flashback, which are actually interior monologues, printed in italics. After Harry, the second great protagonist os the story is death. Moreover in Hemingway's work death, or rather the immense of death, if often described as a sort of epiphany, through which people are about to die obtain a lucid insight into themselves.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the significance of Harry's dreams in his final moments?
- How does the story's structure contribute to its themes?
- What role does death play in the narrative?
In his final moments, Harry dreams that the plane he has been waiting for arrives and takes him away, symbolizing a release from his suffering. This dream contrasts with his reality, as he dies from gangrene during the night. The dream represents a form of escape and a final epiphany, aligning with Hemingway's theme of death as a moment of profound insight.
The story's experimental structure, which alternates between dialogue, action, and interior monologues printed in italics, enhances its themes by providing a deep dive into Harry's past and his reflections on life. This structure allows readers to experience Harry's memories and insights, emphasizing the theme of death as a moment of clarity and self-realization.
Death is a central theme and acts as a second protagonist in the story. It is portrayed as an epiphany, offering Harry a lucid insight into his life as he faces his mortality. This aligns with Hemingway's broader work, where death often serves as a catalyst for characters to gain profound understanding and self-awareness.
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