One of the most well-known writers of the twentieth century is Ernest Hemingway. He played a crucial role in developing modern fiction, since he includes his thoughts and reflects on the times and circumstances of when his stories were created. The representative story is "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," which shows Hemingway's life and times through Harry, who is the main character of the story. The story focuses on Harry and his wife as they are waiting for a plane to come and take him to a doctor or hospital, but Harry anticipates his imminent death. The reason why "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" handles the vanity of human ambition in the face of death so capably is that, through the story, Hemingway is trying to express his own concern for himself. Hemingway regrets and examines himself through Harry's confrontation with death, facing the final hours and thinking back upon his past dissipated life as an artist distracted by women and money. In other words, the story reflects both Harry's and Hemingway's concerns about leaving unfinished business behind as a writer and a proper lifestyle that is conducive to writing on a daily basis. Therefore, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" reflects Ernest Hemingway's experience and thought through its symbols, including the role of Harry, the leopard and hyena, and the snows on the peak of Kilimanjaro.
Since Hemingway formulates a believable plot through Harry's internal conflict, Harry symbolically represents Ernest Hemingway because the lives of both men have a lot of elements in common. First of all, Harry is disappointed at not trying his best as a writer when he confronts death. According to "The Snows of Kilimanjaro: Overview," Linda Wagner-Martin, who is American writer, states that "Hemingway's implication is that the rot that will cause Harry's physical death is a corollary for the spiritual and moral rot that living with the wealthy-and neglecting his talent-has occasioned.