Snows Of Kilimanjaro And Death Of Ivan

Illych Essay, Research Paper

"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Ernest Hemingway and "The Death of

Ivan Ilych" by Leo Tolstoy are both excellent literary works that both

deserve equal praise. Hemingway’s story is about a regretful, wasted author

named Harry who is lying on an African plain dying of gangrene. Ivan, the main

character in Tolstoy’s story, is dying of a incurable illness and reminiscing of

his life and grieving over everything he did not do right. Both stories have

equally effective points of view told in third person narrative. "The Death

of Ivan Ilych" has more realistic conflicts than does "The Snows of

Kilimanjaro" which has extremely powerful symbols. Both Hemingway and

Tolstoy are successful in coupling these three elements with various themes to

make each of the stories equally enjoyable. The point of view used in "The

Death of Ivan Ilych" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" is a third

person narrative, and has been used effectively in both stories. Each of the

authors use a shifting form of narration that efficiently helps to depict both

Harry’s and Ivan’s situation. In "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," Ernest

Hemingway’s narrative changes from viewing the couple to inside Harry’s mind

through a series of italicized flashbacks and since the two perspectives are

differentiated in the text the plot is relatively easy to follow. The narrative

in "The Death of Ivan Ilych" is more complicated than "The Snows

of Kilimanjaro." Tolstoy directs attention to Robbins – 2 various

perspectives: from Ivan’s mind looking out, from the point of view of other

characters, and from the outside focusing in on various characters. Hemingway

uses a narrative that is direct, most of which is dialogue, and through this the

story unfolds: "I’ve been writing," he said. "But I just got

tired." "Do you think you will be able to sleep." "Pretty

sure. Why don’t you turn in." "I like to sit here with you."

"Do you feel anything strange." he asked her. "No. Just a little

sleepy." "I do," he said. (Hemingway, 452) Tolstoy, on he other

hand, comments throughout the narration, interpreting each incidence: He reached

home and began to tell his wife about it. She listened, but in the middle of his

account his daughter came in with her hat on, ready to go out with her mother.

She sat down reluctantly to listen to this tedious story, but could not stand it

long, and her mother too did not hear him to the end. (Tolstoy,156) Both points

of view have aspects that simplify them, as well as aspects that create

confusion. Hemingway effectively uses italicized sections to separate Harry’s

flashbacks from reality while Tolstoy’s narration is not as easy to comply with

considering that there is no device to contrast the different perspectives.

Tolstoy’s writing is an interpretation of the occurrences in Ivan’s life where

as Hemingway’s is more dialogue making it more challenging to interpret.

Considering both stories have complicated narration with styles of writing that

can be confusing as well as both using different literary devices to aid in

easing any confusion, the point of view in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"

is no more effective that in "The death of Ivan Ilych." The conflicts

in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and in "The Death of Ivan Ilych"

are Robbins – 3 extremely similar and are both supported by a theme of coming to

terms with a wasted life. The core of all conflicts is the external strife

between both Harry and Ivan and the terminal illnesses that they battle. Since

neither are in a position to overcome these diseases, various internal struggles

arise. Hemingway and Tolstoy both describe various failure and regret issues the

main characters must examine: Now he would never write the things that he had

saved to write until he knew enough to write them well. Well, he would never

fail at trying to write them either. Maybe you could never write them, and that

was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know,

now. (Hemingway, 438) Harry’s struggle concerns things he failed to complete

while Ivan’s is about all that he had accomplished through methods that were not

morally right: ".Yes, it was all not the right thing,’ he said to

himself, .but that’s no matter. It can be done. But what is the right

thing.’" (Tolstoy,180). Tolstoy also explores an aspect of denial within

Ivan making the use of conflict more effective than that used in "The Snows

of Kilimanjaro." "The pain did not grow less, but Ivan Ilych made

efforts to force himself to think that he was better" (Tolstoy, 156). The

denial Ivan experiences about his death is more realistic than Harry’s

ac

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