Why Things Happen and Why They Don't: Causality and Contingency in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "One Reader Writes"

Abstract:"The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "One Reader Writes," although very different in their reception histories, nevertheless share a crucial verbal and thematic parallel: each story contains similarly worded speculation on how a particular illness (gangrene and syphilis, respectively) came to be contracted. By wondering whether or not the illness in question had to happen, Helen and the unnamed "Reader" invite broader consideration of causality and contingency. In the case of "Snows," this inquiry into contingency pertains also to Harry's concerns as to why he failed to write the stories that he might have written.