Ernest Hemingway 's Hills Like White Elephants

The trains mentioned in “Hills Like White Elephants” are more than just transportation. Throughout the 1930’s, in the valleys of Madrid, a couple travels to have an operation. Ernest Hemingway writes, “Hills Like White Elephants,” a short story in 1927. There are many symbols portrayed through the train-station that explain the relationship of the couple. In the story “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, the beaded curtain, luggage, and valley all have a significant meanings on the relationship of the couple, while also representing the train tracks.

Another relationship coming to an end… Throughout the story “Hills Like White Elephants” written in 1927 by Ernest Hemingway, he used the train station setting, the desired operation, and obviously the relationship between the American and the girl to symbolize a crumbling relationship and unwanted gift between them. The American and the girl find themselves wound up in a rough, unplanned situation that they are trying to fix. Many bread crumbs are dropped throughout the story to symbolize a collapsing relationship and a much wanted operation.

In “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway tells a vague yet concentrated story about a crisis in a couple’s relationship that is left open to the reader’s interpretation. The story opens at a Spanish train station, with a brief description of the scenery at the river Ebro and the white hills that stand tall behind it. A couple have drinks at the bar while awaiting their train, bickering about seemingly nothing. The two characters never actually say what they are arguing about, forcing the reader to infer what is taking place. It seems as if neither of them are really saying what they actually want to each other. Jig, the girl, makes the seemingly innocent statement that the hills

An individual’s first impression of something is often limited by that individual's prior understanding or view. After being exposed to another perspective that first impression often evolves, like looking through a lens. This phenomenon can be observed in literature. Ernest Hemingway's “Hills Like White Elephants” tells of a man and a woman waiting at a Spanish railway station. While having drinks, they discuss the option of her having an abortion. Brooks' "The Mother" discusses the mental effects of abortion and how a woman may feel after having one. At first glance, Hemingway’s story simply shows that abortions can hurt and put strain on relationships, but by understanding the pain that a woman goes through in

In the short story “Hills like White Elephants” Earnest Hemingway deliberately has the setting located in Spain on the Ebro river in the mid-1920’s. In the barren valley, in between hills they wait at a train station trying to make an enormous decision. This day of age abortion was greatly frowned upon, in fact, it was rarely talked about because the idea of killing a child was preposterous. “During the 1920’s, the child assumed unprecedented importance at the center of the American family”

"Literature is a luxury: Fiction is a necessity" (Chesterton). Literature is a single phenomenon that will always remain in the lives of people throughout the years. According to Andre Maurois, "In literature, as in love, we are astounded by what is chosen by others." Fiction Literature is one of the most fascinating types of Literature. There are many types of Fiction Literature read across the world and with much selection, the greatest are short stories. Out of those, one very memorable short story is called "Hills Like White Elephants". The author, Ernest Hemingway, has created many intriguing stories with his recognizable syntax. The specific style he is known for may be childish and use only a few small lines, but nevertheless his

For instance, the author constructs the setting of the story to be in a bar (temporary escape), with the characters surroundings to be able to have the readers focus on every vivid detail in order to lure the reader into obtaining the overall picture that was created. This can be seen when the author states “The hills...on this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails.” (229). The hills represent a problem or obstacle which can be involved with any type of decisions or paths. Hemingway then proceeds to describe one side of a hill with no signs of life and creates a hidden message within the phrase.

In the hills like white elephants by Ernest Hemingway there is a young girl who is about to under go a "simple operation" Hemingway illustrates the girl as a character who is helpless and indecisive about what's going to happen next. the woman's tone in the story makes her appear as if she is being manipulative into having the operation. "I know you wouldn't mind it, jig it's really not anything. it's just to let the air in," it's what the man said. The girl shows that she is confused because of the decision making. The man makes the girl feel stressed and she tells him, “would you please please please please please please stop talking” (Hemingway 478). The woman's role in the decision making in the story appears to be somewhat independent;

Earnest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” describes a couple - man and woman - held up at a train station in Spain. They begin to waste time on drinking beer and liquor in order to forgo the possible circumstances that has been placed upon them. The American tries his best to persuade the woman to have an abortion, but she is ambiguous about the challenges she might be faced with. Earnest minimizes his words throughout the story in order to exemplify a greater thought, called the Iceberg Theory. Earnest uses hills, landscapes, a white elephant, and the railway junction throughout the story to express the Iceberg Theory.

“The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. […] The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid” (290 paragraph 1). Ernest Hemingway crafts a well written dialogue in this story about a man and a girl. The story begins with a detailed description of a train station in Spain surrounded by beautiful hills. The story then turns into dialogue between the two. A man and a girl who appear to be traveling sit down at a

In Hemingway’s story, he creates the setting in which he writes, “It was very hot and the express from Barcelona, would arrive in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes, and went to Madrid,” this setting creates the vision that the characters of the story are waiting in a train station somewhere in Spain. Further the story explains what the characters are doing, they are drinking and conversing back and forth about a seemingly life altering situation (Loveboat). There are two different sides to the station, one side is deciduous and lush with woods. The other side of the station is explained as being dry and not green, this sets the stage for the different arguments that the characters may have about the decision.

Much like the man and the girl in the story the setting is also divided into two distinct parts. One side has hills with trees, a river, and fruitful land, while the other side is dry, brown, and barren. Hemingway’s use of such a setting created the imagery of not only the division between the couple, but also her individual state. Currently, she is with child in which her womb remains full and fruitful, but as the story progresses, you realize that they are discussing having an abortion which in turn would leave her empty and barren.

The Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is about a couple who, at first seems to be having a good time, until the girl brings up the hills that looked like “white elephants” and when the American man mentioned an operation. As the story goes on, a reader can infer that the operation their talking about is abortion. This seems to be the basis of their conflict as the man claims it as “the only thing that’s made [them] unhappy” (Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants 280). The story illustrates both external and internal conflict.

Ernest Hemingway published a short story in 1927 named “Hills Like White Elephants” taking place in Spain at a train station. Simple dialogue throughout the story between an American man and a woman who know each other whom are discussing an operation. Hemingway sets the couple in a situation that is critical in both of their life’s having to decide whether or not to have the operation. Using many examples of symbolism and themes such as making decisions, consequences, doubt and the ambiguity in this situation.

Hemingway uses references to the American’s past in “Hills like White Elephants” to help create a mood and feelings toward the American. On the second page the American is trying to talk Jig into having an abortion, or “operation” as Hemingway writes. The American says, “We will be fine afterwards. Just like we were before.” This shows that the American has been through this before either with Jig or another woman. This creates the