Analysis Of Ernest Hemingway's 'Hills Like White Elephants'

In Hemingway 's "Hills Like White Elephants" I found many layers of symbolism, and a fascinating psychological underplay afoot between his two characters. It begins with the girl 's comment about a line of white hills seen in the distance, which she compares to white elephants. The man responds with the comment "I 've never seen one."

Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” was written before the 1950s and takes place at a train station in Spain. The definition of a white elephant is a possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of. In the story the main character Jig is pregnant by the other main character the American. The American tries to persuade Jig to have an abortion, but Jig’s feelings are very conflicted. Hemingway uses theme, setting, persuasive writing, and verbal irony in the story, which all contribute to shaping different moods.

“Hills like White Elephants,” written by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about two characters and their’s turning and twisting arguments about an operation and also how the settings affect on both this characters perspective and attitude toward the abortion. The story begins at the train station somewhere in Spain where this couple waiting for a train to Madrid and discussing whether to keep baby or no. While in the stations, different events take place as highlighted by the author of the story where the girl explore surrounding of the train station and compare each thing with her situation such as the nearby rail tracks, trees, river, the hills, alcohol. On the other hand, the American responds by stating that he has never come across white elephants and refuse her perspective and shows his decision to not have a baby. The two characters continue ordering more drinks while having their discussion. In a nutshell, the story “Hills like White Elephants,” is a short story about a young girl name Jig and American man who waiting for a train and discussing about whether a girl have an abortion or no, based on abortion, there is a conflict of their relationship derived on the environmental setting of the short story.

In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” the lives of Jig and the American, the main characters, are put on display for a brief period of time.  Jig and the man have had a romantic relationship for quite some time, and now their future together is in jeopardy.  The impregnation of Jig has caused the American to pressure her into getting an abortion.  We find these two individuals in the Valley of the Ebro.  Traveling from Barcelona to Madrid, the couple takes these few minutes to discuss the future of their baby.  Jig now must make one of the most important decisions of her life – to have the abortion and stay with the American, or to have the baby and end the

The negative connotation of a white elephant is expressed in this explanation. It is this negative meaning that is describing the hills, or her pregnant stomach and the unborn child. Further on in their conversation regarding the decision to be made, Jig says to the man, “I know. But if I do it then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants and you’ll like it?” (Hemingway). The girl deliberately asks the man whether the decision of aborting the child will better their lives, or continue moving them down the path of unhappiness. The decision that Jig is faced with ties back to the main theme that Hemingway portrays throughout the short story, decision and indecision. The constant uncertainty that is revealed through the girl’s character is seen in other instances as well.

This is notable in the conversation between the two as a child’s life figuratively depends on the outcome of this brief un-honest conversation, which is assumably another intended message by Hemingway directed at perceptive readers of his short story. As mentioned, the absurdity of the conversation between the two lovers is present within their communication, but this also displays the absurdity of the human condition as both characters lack the honesty to be frank or straightforward with each other. This trait is not only common within the victorian conservatism of the 1920’s and 1930’s but also in the present day. The subtly in which Hemingway stresses the dishonesty between “The American” and “Jig” is apparent in the retraction of the observation made by “Jig”. When “Jig” says, “They’re lovely hills” and “They don’t really like look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees” it is obvious by this statement that her emotions or opinion regarding abortion have changed (“Jig” is now considering keeping the child). Typical of his character, “The American” suggests the two should have another drink, plainly ignoring or not paying any attention to the opinion of “Jig” (which is another effort of Hemingway’s to show the couples inability to communicate truthfully). Alcohol plays a less important role in the absurdity of “Hills Like White Elephants”; however, it is still a strong metaphor for

“Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story published in 1927 and written by Ernest Hemingway taken place in a Spanish train station near the Ebro River symbolizing the couple at crossroads. The train station lies on two different roads just like The American and Jig, one side of the train is fertile while the other is dry and sterile. The American and Jig are in a journey to make a decision that can change their lifestyle, abortion. However, instead of having a serious conversation about a life changing commitment, The American utilizes alcohol as a distraction to change the conversation. As a result, Jig faces a difficult situation and decides to take a different road, literally and emotionally, than that of the American. Jig encounters herself in a moment where her lover does not agree with her keeping their unborn child and tries persuading her to abort. The reader can see that Jig is going along with the abortion because

Though Hills like White Elephants is a very short story, it offers a lot to be taken away from it. I feel like every person that reads it can get a different message from the story. That is one of the things that makes Hills like White Elephants such a great story. I can relate to this story very easily because I have been in situations that are somewhat similar to the one the American and Jig is in.

Two partners; Jig and the American Man; traveled from Madrid, Spain to Barcelona in Ernest Hemingway’s short story, ‘Hills Like White Elephants’, taken place in the 1940s. While waiting for the train at a bar in the middle of a valley, the partners thought about their life together and their life to come. A big issue stands in the room as Jig is pregnant, and the American Man is desperately trying to convince her that an abortion is the right thing to do.

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills like white elephants” at first glance is difficult to understand. It undoubtedly causes most readers to go over it multiple times to grasp exactly what is taking place. The way the story is written is so complex with the 50/50 mixture of traditional storytelling and an abundance of character to character dialogue as well. That’s not the best part; the story’s setting means everything to it. The Train station setting ties in to the plot of the story, the characters behavior, and even the point of view that the story is being told from.

The short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is about a young couple who is trying to make a decision in their life. The woman is named Jig and the man is referred to as The American. Hemingway uses many symbols to convey the message of undecidedness between the character over a problem, though it is not written the reader can conclude that the tension in the story is based around Jig being pregnant and the American wanting her to have an abortion. In addition, the story is set on a train station in Spain between Barcelona and Madrid, which also conveys the decision the couple has to make on the abortion. One train will take the couple to the hospital where they will have the abortion, while the other leads them back home to start their new family. Hemingway uses symbolism, such as objects and numbers, in his short story “Hills Like White Elephants” to express the decisions that Jig and the American have to make, which will ultimately alter the future relationship of the couple

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” follows a young couple having an argument about an operation at a train station. The man insists the girl have the operation, but only if she feels that she wants to. The girl, Jig, does not want to have the operation. The setting of the short story helps reveal the point of view of the two characters. The setting’s significance is shown through the imagery of the landscape, the symbolism of the train tracks and through dialogue between the two characters.

In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants”, the female “Jig” in the short story is the center of their conflict as her lover tries to convince her of doing something he wants, which, in this case, is an abortion. The girl is firm in what she believes but is temporarily swayed by the manipulative man who only wants his way. The story portraits Jig as a woman that wants to keep what she has, a child, and wants to settle down with the man who tries to pressure her into this operation.

In 1927, Ernest Hemingway penned a short story titled, “Hills Like White Elephants.” The story takes place at a train station in Spain and depicts a troublesome dilemma for the two main characters. The story begins with the characters casually discussing what kind of beer to partake in; the tone quickly shifts when the man mentions a surgery to his female friend, Jig. The reader is left to infer that the two characters are discussing an abortion. Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism throughout the story so the reader can delve into a deeper meaning without the ensnarement of excessive emotion. Throughout the story, Hemingway uses several examples of symbolism to depict Jigs inner struggle with the decision she is faced to make.

In “Hills Like White Elephants” the images created support the idea that Jig and The American each have contrasting opinions on having an abortion. The first image created in the story are the hills, which are first described as, “long and white” (Hemingway, 212). Although the readers are given a very basic description of the hills in the opening of the story, Jig has a different view of them. While holding a conversation with The American, Jig says, “They look like white elephants” (Hemingway, 212). The reader had already been given the simple description of the hills therefore Jigs comparison is made to represent how Jig feels about abortion. The comparison she made involving the hills and elephants only have one similarity; both things