Tone And Style In Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants" relies on symbolism to carry the theme of either choosing to live selfishly and dealing with the results, or choosing a more difficult and selfless path and reveling in the rewards. The symbolic materials and the symbolic characters aid the reader's understanding of the subtle theme of this story. The hills symbolize two different decisions that the pregnant girl in our story is faced with. Both hills are completely opposite of each other, and each "hill" or decision has a consequence that is just as different as the appearance of the hills.

For example, after a family has arrived on an unfamiliar environment through a rocket, n the text, it states, “The wind blew, whining. At any moment the Martian air might draw his soul from him, as marrow comes from a white bone.” This means that a party of humans had reached some environment that was unfamiliar because in the text we learn that the humans had emerged from a “rocket” that came from Earth and that they were currently in a “Martian” setting. Further into the text, when the family is told that they cannot return to their home, it states, “For a long time there was only the sound of the wind in the late afternoon. Alone, thought Bittering. Only a thousand of us here. No way back. No way. No way.” This text means that the humans who had approached Mars as their new home would be forever lost there, and this is because in the text we learn that “atom bombs hit New York,” causing all the “space rockets” to explode. This text also means that the silence that was roaming the family was due to the fact that they were speechless because in the text we learn how that their old and favored home was gone. This is important because it shows how the author chose to mention that the wind was whining, how the martian air was threatening, and only the sound of the wind because he wanted to lay out the mood of “foreboding” for the readers. Many of the decisions that the author made involving the mood were to include several minor details that add to the reader’s feelings and signal some upcoming events in the

Firstly, the author uses tone when he wants the reader to understand the intensity of his experiences in the story. One example of Alexie’s use of tone is in the beginning of “Indian Education” where he uses a hopelessly scared

For instance, the video titled “Elephants Show Cooperation”, had an enthusiastic and friendly tone. We can see that when the narrator says “Chimps and Dolphins move over at the smart table, the elephant needs a seat”. Because the narrator uses silly, joke-like phrase like ‘smart table’, it appeals and sounds more friendly to the viewer. The texts, “Elephants Can Lend a Helping Trunk” and “Elephants Know When They Need a Helping Trunk in a Cooperative Task”, have very different tones. For example, the article, has a conversational tone. The article states, “Elephants know when they need a helping hand- or rather, trunk”. Unlike the video, this article may not exactly show humor, but it’s not monotonous. Because of this, we have a very casual, conversational tone. However, in the article, the tone is completely different. The passage’s tone is a very dry, formal, and informational-like tone. The text states, “The table apparatus was comprised of two pieces of plywood painted and bolted to a rectangular PVC pipe frame 3.3 m wide and 1.2 m deep”. This sentence from the passage, is just a plain, informational sentence. It tells the information and does nothing else. Furthermore, it uses numbers, and goes into extreme detail which adds more to the dry and formal tone. All in all, the sentence is emotionless, and the only purpose of the sentence is to inform. In other words, the video differs from the two texts in ways of

While reading a well written story I am conscious of the atmosphere the author creates through the particular style they choose to use. As a reader, I am able to admire the way in which the writer presents their characters and setting, and be conscious of the overall voice used in their writing. The "voice" used in the writing is often the most obvious aspect of an author's style to detect. The author's "voice" is the way

Ernest Hemingway was a groundbreaking author during the 20th century and he left behind many famous pieces of work. He used his own life experiences to contribute ideas and inspiration for his stories whether they involve his military career or his family life (“Ernest Hemingway). Hemingway also uses language in such ways that can convey feelings and ideas throughout his pieces. His use of language and dialogue in some of his short stories really paint a picture for the reader on the situations presented (Link). In the short story, “Hills Like White Elephants,” Hemingway uses Jig’s ambivalence towards the whole situation with herself and the American to convey the idea that Jig holds all the power in the decision although the American, who is powerless, believes he has a say in the matter.

Tone is the technique by which the author conveys his attitude toward his subject. Describe Edwards’ tone. List some words or phrases that help create the tone. Does the tone change? Where? How do you

One example of tone that affected me was Hosseini’s unflinching and fearless tone . He write scenes with violence and warfare and isn’t afraid to describe it in detail, making the reader frightened of certain passages, but it only adds to the emotion. “Assef knelt behind Hassan, put his hands on Hassan's hips and lifted his bare buttocks. He kept one hand on Hassan's back and undid his own belt buckle with his free hand. He unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper. He moved his head slightly and I caught a glimpse of his face. Saw the resignation in it. It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” ( 75-76). This would be a perfect example of the unflinching tone that Hosseini uses to make sure that the reader understands his point. It was almost like a slap in the face for me. The author isn’t afraid to write anything and it adds a steely edge to the novel's overall emotion. Another use of tone would be irony. “Your father, like you, was a tortured soul, Rahim Khan had written. Maybe so. We had both sinned and betrayed. But Baba had found a way to create good out of his remorse. What had I done, other than take my guilt out on the very same people I had betrayed, and then try to forget it all?” (303). Isn’t it ironic how Amir’s father betrayed his friend even though he

What is the use of symbolism in writing? Is it merely to confuse the reader or is its true intent to make the reader think about the meaning of the story? A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its literal meaning (Meyer 220). In Ernest Hemingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway uses a plethora of symbols to convey the idea that the young girl, Jig is ambivalent to having an abortion and that her older American boyfriend does not want to have the baby. Although the word abortion is never used in the story, the reader understands the concept through Hemingway's symbolism.

Have you ever wondered why people use tone while writing ? Tone is a very strategic way to get the reader's attention. While reading, people can have a different opinion than you. De Vaca did not know that he would have to use tone or even write a report on all that happened in order to save his own life.

In literature, authors use a certain image or collection of images in order to produce a particular effect, eliciting a response from the reader’s senses. Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” utilizes the imagery of the train station in order to produce the effect of transition between the characters, both in terms of physical location and emotional mindset. Much like Hemingway, James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” takes a similar approach, using Sonny’s passion for music to expose his deepest insecurities. Though their approaches are different, both authors use imagery to create a pathway to the character’s internal thoughts.

the baby to have, but does it stop her from drinking? No, this only indicates

Swaying trees in the distance, blue skies and birds chirping, all of these are examples of setting. Setting can create the mood and tone of characters in a story. In the story Hills Like White Elephants, the story starts out with our two characters, Jig and the American, also referred to as the man, on a train overlooking mountains. “The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry” (Hemingway). In the case of this short story, the hills provided Jig something to take her mind off of the grueling conversation she was having with the Man. As said by a critic, “the story itself is comprised almost entirely of dialogue. Although there is a situation, there is no plot”

tone it would be hard to tell where the author is going or the attiyude they are trying to portray in

Ernest Hemingway's “Hills like white elephants” is a short story that focuses on a dialogue between a man, solely referred to as the “American” and the girl as Jig. The couple is at a crossroads or critical point in their relationship faced with the obstacle of an unplanned pregnancy and they have to make a decision whether to continue with the pregnancy or have an abortion. The man is trying to convince Jig to have a procedure that they refer to as the “operation” but it is assumed by many critics to be an abortion. He promises her that it is a simple procedure and that their lives will go back to the way they have always been (traveling etc.). The girl however, appears to be ambivalent about having an abortion and is aware of the extent of