Symbolism In Hills Like White Elephants And Cross Country Snow

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.

White elephants in the story symbolises something that no one wants. The woman comments that the surrounding hills ‘look like white elephants’ (Hemingway 219) to serve as a transition for the couple to discuss their baby. Comparing the hills and metaphorically the baby to elephants is a ‘figure of speech, that suggests some common quality shared by the two’ (Baldick “Metaphor”). The use of this metaphor exploits how the pair has contrasting opinions about the pregnancy, as she is deeply disappointed that he wants her to have an abortion but doesn’t want to marry her, since she knows that having the operation will destroy her. The spatial and physical setting with repeated threshold images marks central conflict about which path to take, as the white hills and barren valley builds climax between life and death or fertility and sterility. The woman is clearly torn between the different landscapes that coincides with her abortion decision; in which the conversation escalates to have Jig say to the American man to ‘please please please please please please please stop talking‘ (222). This embarks that she needs be alone with her thoughts, as her overlook on life will have to change. Underneath this dispute lies a major complication of how a relationship can compose demands on personal freedom, as both characters struggle with the reality of a shared relationship, that can refer back to commitment and how poorly they communicate with each

In the story, "Hills like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Jig faces a life changing event, abortion. The struggles with the complications of abortion concern and desire Jig to want to keep the baby. Bringing a new life into the world is a long time commitment and it is something Jig feels she can treasure forever. However, her companion attempted to persuade her in another direction, to proceed with the abortion. As naïve as he is, he feels his persuasion can overcome Jig's desires. Jig is a sarcastic yet reserved woman, who desires to bring a new life into the world, even if her companion does not approve; she knows what is best.

Symbolism in Hill’s Like White Elephants The story “Hill’s Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is written in a style with a lot of metaphors. These metaphors symbolize some deeper meaning in the story. For example, the most obvious metaphor in the story is the title itself “Hills Like White Elephants” which symbolizes the problems that the couple have. The man, The American, wants his girlfriend, Jig, to get an abortion. However, Jig is adamant that they can handle a child and refuses to get the abortion.

Jig quietly takes back her statement saying “the hills don’t actually look like white elephants, at a first glance but there actually quite lovely”. She hinting that she wants to keep this baby. The American is obviously ignoring and avoids this statement; he will say anything to convince her to agree with the abortion. Recalling the familiar expression ‘”the elephant in the room” a term for something embarrassingly evident that not a single person feels comfortable enough to bring

“Hills Like White Elephants” displays the differences in how a man and a woman may view pregnancy and abortion. Jig, a woman, sees pregnancy as a beautiful aspect in life. Hemingway uses symbolism in the couple’s conversation to imply the woman’s pregnancy. The woman refers to the nearby hills on the train platform as elephants; “They look like white elephants”. She compares the hills to her own situation, pregnancy; “They’re lovely hills. They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees.”

The American man does not want to settle down or get married he wants to continue being carefree and not having to think before doing anything. The unanticipated baby is the difficult obstacle that they must overcome. However, the hills could also symbolize Jig’s pregnancy. The hills could be depicted as a growing belly. Jig’s baby bump may be compared to the shape of the hill.

Symbolically, “Hills like White Elephants” represents a choice. It is a life choice that can’t be undone once it is made. This choice is about whether or not Jig, the female character of the story, should get an abortion. It supports the theme because if Jig chooses to keep the baby she is defying the wishes of her male partner, who is simply referred to as “the man,” and taking a stand for women by doing so. However it is not entirely clear what choice she makes at the end of the story. Her only words being, “I feel fine…There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine” (216). The interpretation some people take for this is that she decided to keep the baby and chose to defy male domination.

When the couple first arrives to the train station, Jig attempts to make small talk with the man about the hills surrounding the junction. She states that the hills “look like white elephants” (Hemingway 312). These hills symbolize the child Jig is carrying, and how the baby is not wanted. Professor Weeks states that the “unwanted pregnancy is . . . associated with the ubiquitous white elephant sale.

The title, and Jig’s surroundings are hills are compared to white elephants using a simile. There are two ways the “hills like white elephants” can be viewed as symbols. One way the hills are a symbol is in their actual shape. The rounded tops of the hills are “swollen like the belly of a reclining woman with child”. Jig sees this subtle detail in her surroundings and tells the American man, setting up the introduction of the other meaning behind the white elephant symbol.

In his short story it has many symbolism throughout the text. The two major symbolism are the white elephant and the railway junction. The white elephant represent the unborn baby because it means something unwanted. The man tells Jig, “‘That’s the only thing that bother us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy’”

This would be the man’s perspective of the baby. He believes that it will get in the way of their travels and mess their relationship up. The more complex meaning would be Jig referencing that the hills looked like white elephants but what she meant was the hills looked like the elephant's skin tone. “They don’t really look like white elephants.

This is also reflected conflict relationship where they both expecting different between two characters. Secondly, when Jig looked at the hills and said, “They look like white elephants”(256) The man replied, “I've never seen one.” Then she replied, “No, you wouldn't have” (256). The hills representing her growing baby in her belly and white elephant referring to the undesirable gift which cannot fit into their lives as per a man point of view. However, Jig trying to be sarcastic when she said, “No, you wouldn't have” because she sees white as alight , and elephant represent peace and power as per Buddha religious.Furthermore, the alcohol consumption while they waiting for train consider being excessive. It seems like both characters feel uncomfortable with where the conversation going to end. So they bring up a topic of alcohol in order to escape from the unwanted decision they both need to take. At one point, Jig asks about a sign she notices on the curtain that says“Anis del Toro” (256).  The couple tries the drink with the addition of

The white elephant can be seen as possibly an unborn child that the man in the story does not want and he feels it will tie them down in the long run and take all the adventures of life away from them. While the girl sees the baby as a new adventure and something that others have done so it does not seem to be as daunting of a task for her while the man is utterly overwhelmed and depressed about it. Reading this story it does not seem as if they are arguing at all but the deeper the story goes it becomes apparent that they are glossing over the fact that they cannot seem to agree or even talk about the elephant in the room, the only reason that they talk about it is because of the girls comment about the white

While the American, a practical man, looks at things in the function of their practicality and possesses little imagination. Furthermore, he is dominant, a know-all and a manipulator to the bone. He takes care of the luggage, speaks Spanish and orders the drinks, not Jig. When sitting in the bar drinking some beers, she looks off at the lines of hills and remarks: ‘”They look like white elephants,” she said. “I’ve never seen one,” the man drank his beer.’ (251). I think Jig is referring to a concept, using figurative language for a ‘white elephant’ is, in fact, an idiom for a rare thing of which the cost exceeds its value. In this perspective, it is an intertextual reference to the yet unborn baby. For the practical American, the baby is just a costly thing, but Jig does not share his view. She values life and nature. In contrast, her lover is talking about a real white, albino elephant. He cannot comprehend what Jig is referring to. When Jig utters her disappointment about the poor taste of the Anis del Toro, they have a quarrel that ends with him saying that they should try and have a fine time (252). Yet the way he puts it sounds more like a demand, an imposition. As the discussion goes on whether or not to abort the child, the American even appears to know that Jig wouldn’t mind to do it. A matter that is clearly linked to women, nonetheless, he knows: ‘it’s all perfectly natural’ (253). When, in fact, you could question