The Snows of Kilimanjaro Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Snows of Kilimanjaro - Research Paper Example "The Snows of Kilimanjaro† reveal that pursuing a life filled with materialism leads to regret, depression, obsession, and ultimately, death. It was also Hemingway who said that all fiction is autobiographical, in the sense that it is difficult for a writer to totally invent the materials for a story; it has to come from somewhere such as things that have actually happened, and the writer subconsciously utilizes the materials in his life experiences. Many of Hemingway's stories have a strong biographical background in them, because he had actually experienced all this in his frequent travels and adventures like big-game hunting, deep-sea fishing, and bullfighting. His prior training as a newspaper reporter and journalist also honed his writing style. It is not surprising this darker side of life may have influenced him to take his own life. But his suicide does not in any way detract from his iconic accomplishment as one of the most brilliant American writers. Discussion Mount Kilimanjaro is a mountain peak found in the African country of Tanzania. It is actually a dormant volcanic mountain that has three cones, namely Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi. Tanzania is located on the eastern part of Africa, bordered by the countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Zambia, and Mozambique. The capital city of Dar es Salaam that faces the Indian Ocean to the east is the main commercial and political hub of this country. Its name was derived from the union of its two big states, Tanganyika and Zanzibar. But since 1996, the government moved its seat to the city of Dodoma, although Dar es Salaam is still its chief gateway to sea trade and also of its landlocked neighbors to the north, west, and south. A key attraction of Mt. Kilimanjaro is its being the highest mountain in the African continent. It rises to a height of 19,340 feet and offers scenic views for miles around, as the roof of Africa. Kilimanjaro has a temperate climate comprising five zones, and has uni que fauna and flora in huge rain forests, in addition to fantastic volcanic lava formations, and also glaciers. To climb to the top and sleep on the volcano's crater floor is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The sheer majesty of Mt. Kilimanjaro attracts tourists from all over the world, paying substantial fees for a unique climb on this unique mountain. Its lofty heights invite all sorts of feelings, emotions, thoughts, and even contemplation on the meaning of life itself. This is the same mountain that Hemingway had immortalized in the title of his novel, having climbed it himself at a time when Africa was still largely unexplored during the period of empire and in the heyday of colonialism. The white settlers, adventurers, explorers, and administrators were looked up to by the black natives. Western academics studied the local cultures of the various tribes before these will disappear forever, tainted and influenced by the fast influx of Western civilization and gradually mo lded into the Western way of life and by propagation of religion. It was