`` Hills Like White Elephants `` : An Omniscient Third Person Point Of View

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Ernest Hemmingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is narrated in an omniscient third-person point of view. Hemingway’s minimalistic style doesn’t discuss many characters in the story, but rather focuses on their engagements and discourse. The narrator in this story gives little to no insight into what is happening. However, with this style of writing, Hemingway is able to present many themes that are apparent throughout the short story. One of the themes I have chosen to focus on is alcohol. Alcohol is highlighted throughout the two-character’s serious discussion. The conversation is full of tension regarding the operation that the man wants the girl to undergo. With all this tension, the alcohol seems to act as a distraction or escape…show more content…
Drinking is the only source of relief that the man and the girl can find from both the harsh, hot sunlight and the complications of their own relationship. A rather simple quote from Jig, “Let’s drink beer” is actually an indicator to other portions of the story where Jig steers the action with her speech. Jig is actually the one doing much of the decision making in the story. This could be because the American is obviously asking Jig to perform an operation that he knows is in his favor, while Jig is still uncertain. This in hand allows Jig to hold most of the power throughout the story.
On page 643, Jig makes a seemingly mean comment on the surface.
“They look like white elephants,” she said.
“I’ve never seen one,” the man drank his beer.
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
As we soon learn she becomes very disappointed in the American because he wants her to have an abortion and doesn’t want to marry her. Yet, her jab has nothing to do with that. It is more of a subtle, underhand approach, as she attempts to belittle the man, because he hasn’t traveled as much as she has. But even more than that, the context behind the white elephants mentioned, is in reference to the hills they see. In general, a white elephant signifies something that no one wants, and in this novelette it is the unborn child. Initially her comment seems to be casual, but it actually forms a segue for her and the man to discuss the
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