Hills like white elephants story. What do the hills symbolize in Hills like White Elephants? 2022-12-22

Hills like white elephants story Rating: 4,9/10 487 reviews

Hills Like White Elephants is a short story by Ernest Hemingway, published in 1927. The story is set in a train station in Spain, where a young couple, referred to only as "the man" and "the girl," are having a conversation about an impending operation that the girl is hesitant to undergo. It is implied that the operation is an abortion, although the word is never used directly in the story.

The story is told through the dialogue between the man and the girl, and it is revealed that the man is trying to convince the girl to go through with the operation. He argues that it is a simple procedure and that it is the best thing for both of them. The girl, however, is hesitant and expresses her doubts and fears about the operation.

The title of the story, "Hills Like White Elephants," refers to a line in the conversation between the man and the girl, in which the girl looks at the hills in the distance and says that they look like white elephants. The man responds by saying that he has never seen a white elephant, and the girl replies that they are pretty. The reference to white elephants is a metaphor for something that is rare and valuable, but also burdensome and difficult to care for. This metaphor can be interpreted as representing the girl's unborn child, which is valuable and rare, but also a burden that she is not sure she is ready to take on.

Throughout the story, the man and the girl struggle to come to a decision about the operation, and their conversation touches on themes of love, responsibility, and the difficulties of communication in relationships. The man tries to reassure the girl by telling her that he loves her and that everything will be alright, but the girl remains hesitant and unsure.

In the end, the reader is left to wonder what decision the couple ultimately made. Did the girl go through with the operation, or did she choose to keep the child? The story ends with the man ordering two beers, and the girl saying "I feel fine." This ambiguity leaves the interpretation of the story open to the reader, inviting them to consider the larger themes and implications of the couple's decision.

Overall, Hills Like White Elephants is a poignant and thought-provoking story that explores the complexities of relationships and the difficult decisions that we face in life. It serves as a reminder that, even in our closest relationships, we may not always understand or agree with the choices that our loved ones make, and that sometimes the hardest decisions are the ones that are left unsaid.

Hills Like White Elephants: A Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

hills like white elephants story

What does Hill symbolize? What gives this simple action interest is the tension of their dialogue, the implications of their comments, and the subtle suggestions of their personalities and the irreconcilable conflict between them. Throughout the story, the woman is distant; the American is rational. Coming back, he walked through the barroom, where people waiting for the train were drinking. Sheldon Grebstein argues that the conflict is dynamically unresolved at the end, still a smoldering issue that threatens to tear them apart. The American is completely oblivious to the meaning of that question, tosses the subject of their future aside and continues to discuss the operation. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid.

Next

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, 1927

hills like white elephants story

Moreover, the train must arrive soon, which means that a decision must be made, which cannot be delayed any longer. First of all, it is worth noting the location within which the conversation unfolds. Many interpretations see the curtain as a barrier between Jig and the American. Repetition of words and phrases is a common trait found within Hemingway's short story, a habit that is not done without cause. In the case of pregnancy, not having the abortion is something "to go through with" because it results in the birth of a child. The strings of beads are wavering in front of the door of the pub that is full of darkness sorrow symbolize the contrast between joy and sorrow.

Next

Symbolism in the story "Hills Like White Elephants."

hills like white elephants story

The picture of the scenery give way to the indecision of the women on whether she will have the abortion or not. What does the mountain symbolizes? I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees. What is the synonym of hill? Joseph DeFalco reads the story as focusing on the man's refusal to accept the "natural processes of life. What is the meaning of hills and valleys? Readers must come to their own conclusions based on the dialogue. Rivers symbolize life, fertility, freedom, a path, and the passage of time. He allows us only to see the characters as we would in real life. American Expatriates in Paris.


Next

Hills Like White Elephants Study Guide

hills like white elephants story

This is ironic because white elephants are very rare and important. She was waiting at the table and smiled at him. I was having a fine time. A Story That Takes on an Emotional Conversation on Abortion The man is attempting to convince the woman to get an abortion, but the woman is ambivalent about it. The Valley of the Kings, for example, is an Egyptian burial ground for previous pharaohs.

Next

Analysis of Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"

hills like white elephants story

Valleys are symbolic of abundance. What is the conclusion of Hills Like White Elephants? Definition of hill Entry 1 of 2 1 : a usually rounded natural elevation of land lower than a mountain. Everything will be changed after the birth of the child if she does not have an abortion. What does wind symbolize? He drank an Anis at the bar and looked at the people. Just like we were before.

Next

On Jig’s Psychological Changes in the Short Story Hills Like White Elephants of Hemingway

hills like white elephants story

In an early sketch Hemingway explored the central situation, writing in first person and calling the woman "Hadley. Part of the genius of Hemingway's fiction is his ability to do so much with so little, to create a tense scene without direct physical or verbal conflict. There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights. What do mountains symbolize and teach us? In the same way, the bareness of the hills and fertility of the fields suggest a distinction between happiness and sadness. This story, Hills Like White Elephants, is taken form the Objective dramatic point of view where the author is the narrator. As the protagonist,Jig is considered as a submissive woman who has no definite views of her own. The tension between the couple rises with the mention of the warm wind, and it drops with the sip of cold beer.

Next

Ernest Hemingway

hills like white elephants story

It is difficult to learn much information directly from a conversation between a girl and a man. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. Because I don't care about me. He will have to carry these weights throughout his life. Hemingway retained the setting and the elephant simile of the earlier draft, but he changed the central figures into an anonymous American man and a woman called "Jig. The white elephant image symbolizes the thing that cannot easily be gotten rid of and that comes with a great cost. The arriving train represents decision time.

Next

Hills Like White Elephants

hills like white elephants story

What is Hemingway trying to say in Hills Like White Elephants? You know I love you. The warm wind and the cold beers symbolize the fluctuating tension between them that is continuously increasing and decreasing. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. What does valley symbolize? However the conclusion is read, it is evident that Hemingway has presented a dramatic conflict built on subtle implication and inference, making this brief narrative a masterpiece of short fiction. Literally, the curtain is a barrier between the American and the girl while he drinks in the bar among other "reasonable people" while the girl sits outside.

Next