From Memories To Counterfactuals: A Conceptual Journey In Ernest Hemingway’s “Snows Of Kilimanjaro”

Abstract

The paper examines a number of unrealized and unauthentic narrative events in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” which, despite not being part of the main story line, are still emotionally charged as well as thoroughly and instantly engaging. I argue that our involvement in such counterfactual scenarios might be explained by the fact that we don’t feel it to be necessary to choose between the multiple developments of the story. In connection with this, I formulate the question whether this emergent narrative diversity has an implicit effect on the act of reading. It seems that the introduction of the counterfactual stories heightens the immersion effect of the story.

Keywords

• short story
• conceptual journey
• counterfactuality
• immersion effect