"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
             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?"
             "Do you feel anything strange?" he asked her.
             "I do," he said. (Hemingway, 452)
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