An essay on Green Hills of Africa by Nathan Kotas
A safari hunt is done purposely to insert one’s self within an environment and match skills against those of nature, man and of course, beast. These is no reason to do so like there is reason to breath or sleep and the unforced nature of this act puts the participant in a fragile control. Hemingway (the character) chose to hunt in Africa and therefore decided on the environment that would surround him. Ultimately it is the decisions Hemingway and others make that propels them through Africa to a final rebirth with the killing of the kudu. Only a few words from an old native spurs Ernest on to a part of Africa little hunted and with much life and, he could feel the life springing out of the ground when first encountering it. This slow birth culminates in the shooting of not one but two kudu. Despite being smaller than the ones shot by Karl, Pop reminds Ernest it was the act of hunting that he should remember and hold dear. Karl declined to go to uncharted territory and allowed the kudu to come to him, while Ernest when out and looked for it among the liveliest part of Africa.
Pop’s admonition plays more importance when coupled with the scene around the camp fire after the hunt of the kudu. Though Pop wasn’t there, he would not be surprised to know of the camaraderie shared between men who were speaking different languages yet understanding each other perfectly. Ernest even eats the liver, the cleansing organ, to add value to the purifying nature of the whole camp fire scene. I would say the killing of the kudu, which seemed to be the unspoken goal of the entire safari, and the events back at camp afterward are the most striking sequence of events in the book.
