Language

Style of language

The language in the short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Ernest Hemingway is formal. The style of writing and the vocabulary is fairly advanced: “Drinking together, with no pain now except the discomfort of lying in the one position, the boys lighting a fire, its shadow jumping on the tents, he could feel the return of acquiescence in this life of pleasant surrender” (p. 47, ll. 28-30). Since the story follows Harry’s perspective, this reveals Harry’s education and his occupation as a writer. 

Most of the narrative consists of Harry’s stream of consciousness, as he moves from one thought, feeling and memory to the next. For instance, his thoughts about Helen’s motivation in staying with him lead him to the memory of how he got the injury wh...