Hills like white elephants. Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway 2022-12-18

Hills like white elephants Rating: 9,1/10 335 reviews

"Hills Like White Elephants" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that was published in 1927. The story is set in a train station in Spain, where an American man and a young woman, known only as the "girl," are having a conversation. The conversation centers around a "very simple operation" that the girl is considering having, and the man is trying to persuade her to go through with it.

The story is told through dialogue, with very little narration or background information given. This creates a sense of ambiguity and tension between the two characters. The girl seems hesitant and unsure about the operation, while the man is more confident and insistent. He tries to convince her that it is the right thing to do, and that it will not change their relationship or their future plans. However, the girl seems to be struggling with her decision, and the reader is left to infer what the operation is and what its consequences might be.

One of the most striking aspects of "Hills Like White Elephants" is the use of symbolism and imagery. The title itself refers to a conversation the girl has with the man about the hills in the distance, which she says look like white elephants. This metaphor is often interpreted as a symbol for the girl's pregnancy, with the "operation" representing an abortion. This interpretation is supported by the use of other symbols, such as the train station, which represents the crossroads where the characters are at in their relationship, and the beer and liquor they drink, which can be seen as symbols of their attempts to numb their emotions and avoid the issue at hand.

Another important aspect of the story is the use of dialogue and character development. Hemingway uses very sparse, straightforward language, and the characters' conversations are often indirect and vague. This reflects the characters' inability to communicate openly and honestly with each other about their feelings and the situation they are in. The man, in particular, seems to be avoiding the topic and trying to manipulate the girl into making a decision that he wants. This creates a sense of distance and lack of connection between the two characters, and highlights the difficulties they are facing in their relationship.

Overall, "Hills Like White Elephants" is a powerful and thought-provoking story that explores themes of communication, relationships, and the consequences of difficult decisions. Through its use of symbolism, imagery, and character development, Hemingway creates a sense of tension and ambiguity that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.

Symbolism in “Hills like White Elephants”

hills like white elephants

He keeps trying to push her in a gentle way towards accepting the idea. The story is full of meaning and there are three specific symbols that the story focuses on to convey that meaning. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees. He puts the ideas in her head that it is so simple, and even he would be able to do it for her. With surprising intensity, she begs him to stop talking. The woman clearly understands the gravity of the situation far more than the man who insists on taking it lightly and acting as though it were not a big deal, this termination of life. It isn't ours any more.

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Hills Like White Elephants: A Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

hills like white elephants

The train all this time is fast approaching and will be there in a matter of moments. The man states that he does not want anyone but her, and he does not want anyone else because he knows it is perfectly simple Hemingway 108 , meaning that he does not want the baby, he only wants her. The train will be there to take them one way or another—either to more drinks and more rounds of endless looking at things, which the girl says is all they ever do, or to a child and life and love and responsibility. Afterwards the man promises that he and the girl will be fine and just like before. The girl is staring at the distant hills, which are brightly lit in the sunlight, though otherwise barren in appearance.


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Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Plot Summary

hills like white elephants

The girl, in turn, asks him to stop talking. He published seven novels, six short story collections and two non-fiction works. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies. The train will be there to take them one way or another—either to more drinks and more rounds of endless looking at things, which the girl says is all they ever do, or to a child and life and love and responsibility. He went out through the bead curtain. The beads are also very symbolic of the short story.

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Hills Like White Elephants Summary & Analysis

hills like white elephants

A white elephant is a symbol of a possession that cannot be gotten rid of and has a great cost to keep around. The jig could be seeing the hills as a childbearing woman lying on her back with her belly and breasts swollen because of the pregnancy Weeks 76. At this point the girl asks the man to do her a favor, to which he instantly agrees. On one side of the station, there is vegetation and fields of grain, while the other side is dry and barren Short Stories for Students 159. The man carries the heavy luggage to their tracks where the train is not yet visible.


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Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

hills like white elephants

Finally, the train arriving within minutes is the symbol of the impending decision that must be made. The woman resists his egotistical impulses—but at the same time she has a desire to please him, to love him. When he eventually speaks again, he claims not to care about the operation, and the girl threatens to scream. They argue back and forth never arriving at a decision—but life is coming and a decision must be made. The train they are waiting for is an express train, which means once she gets on it there is no turning back.

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Conflicts in “Hills Like White Elephants” Analysis Free Essay Example 1518 words

hills like white elephants

The woman resists his egotistical impulses—but at the same time she has a desire to please him, to love him. But for the girl, the pregnancy holds the promise of a beautiful new type of life together, one that he cannot or refuses to see. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. His wartime experiences formed the basis for his novel A Farewell to Arms. Shortly after the publication of The Old Man and the Sea in 1952, Hemingway went on safari to Africa, where he was almost killed in two plane crashes that left him in pain and ill-health for much of the rest of his life. They argue back and forth never arriving at a decision—but life is coming and a decision must be made. As the two sit drinking alcohol, it becomes clear that the girl is pregnant and the man is encouraging her to get an abortion, though neither directly names the issue they are discussing.

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hills like white elephants

He responds that the drink is called Anis del Toro. In 1918, he was seriously wounded and returned home. Although the man tries to convince Jig that he knows the operation is safe, he may not know much about the operation Short Stories for Students 158. Also, the beads could just simply represent a dividing structure, such as the pregnancy is dividing the couple. The American does not make it easy for her in any way, but for him, it is so simple. We assume that the girl decides to keep the baby instead of her boyfriend because she states that she is fine and nothing is wrong with her at the end of the short story.

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hills like white elephants

This is when the girl begins to think about keeping the baby. He keeps trying to push her in a gentle way towards accepting the idea. He looked up the tracks but could not see the train. The man thinks it is an easy thing to dispose of—just a simple operation—but she is hesitant and cynical about his tone. It was later published in his short story collection called Men Without Women. The man excuses himself to move his bags to the other side of the station. The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway's first novel, was published in 1926.

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