Hills Like White Elephants Essays

In Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", the use of the third person objective view is very important due to how it can affect the tone of the narrative and the emphasis of the main themes. The tone of the narrative would be completely altered if Hemingway used a different point of view and would most likely not create the sense of mystery that the third person objective view successfully does. Point of view is important because it is how the author wants the reader to perceive what is occurring in the story by focusing the reader's attention on the details they want to be emphasized, such as the themes. The narrator in the "Hills Like White Elephants" provides only basic information that is needed for the reader to get some understanding about the narrative. The use of third person objective view in the narrator tells the story in a way that is unbiased and creates a neutral narrative. The narrative being neutral is very significant in "Hills Like White Elephants" because even with such limited information provided about the characters, it still allows the development of characters to occur. The reader can understand that even with minimal background information provided, that aside from the current conversation there is more to this story that we do not see. For example, in the quote "It's lovely ... It's...show more content...

The third person objective view helps focus the reader on the theme of choices by providing an unbiased portrayal of the story. The reader is provided a sort of "bird's eye view" on the situation that is never resolved and gives the reader the chance to understand that they, just like the characters, are left to personal interpretations and choices. In the quote "...if you don't want to you don't have to ... But I know it's perfectly simple." shows the reader that the man would prefer the woman to have the operation but is letting the girl decide for

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Ernest Hemmingway uses time, place, and symbolism in "Hills like White Elephants" to intensify the central dilemma in a story about a man and a woman deciding on whether to go through with an abortion. Although a literal reading of the title may not seem to have any relation to the story, the title is rich in implications. Critics suggest that "Hills" refers to the shape of a woman's stomach when pregnant, and Webster's 21st Century Dictionary defines white elephant as: "[An] awkward, useless possession." The term is also defined in Webster's as an item that is worthless to some but priceless to others. According to Victor Lindsey, the child in the story is a white elephant in the view of the man, who is trying to convince the girl to...show more content...

The train depot is surrounded on both sides by fields: one side with trees and fields of grain, and the other contains nothing but dust (Hemingway 324). The two sides of the train tracks represent the choice Jig will have to face between pregnancy and abortion.

Every time the man or the woman try to change the subject and avoid talking about the abortion, they end up saying something that refers to or alludes to the baby or the abortion. The woman suggests that the hills look like white elephants (324), which the man fails to acknowledge. The lack of clear communication between the two causes tension and arguments at every turn. When the woman agrees sarcastically that the man has never seen white elephants, he says, "Just because you say I wouldn't have doesn't prove anything" (324). The woman is clearly annoyed at the insensitivity of the man's negative feelings toward her pregnancy. For her, the baby is a priceless treasure, but for him it is a worthless fetus.

Time and place are very significant in the story. The author describes where the train is boarded and where it is headed to, but he never tells the reader where the man and woman are at the moment. Hemingway notes that the train "stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid" (324). Baker argues that "this limited time symbolizes the time she has to have the abortion" (Baker, 145). Baker further

Hills Like White Elephants

Every day people make decisions that affect their future lives. What makes a right decision? What may be right to some may be wrong to others. Right and wrong decisions are objective and vary among each individual. "Hills Like White Elephants," by Ernest Hemingway, portrays the idea of decision making between two characters in a valley in Spain as they wait for a train to arrive. Jig, the protagonist, attempts to make a crucial change in her life by making the right decision, although her flaws, including indecisiveness, prevent her from taking action in her decision. Jig and the American have had a romantic relationship for quite a while and now their future together is in jeopardy. The two of them are having a conversation on whether or not Jig should get an abortion. The man is trying to convince the woman to do something she is hesitant to do. Hemingway uses metaphors and symbolism to express their feelings and decision–making. "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."

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"Hills Like White Elephants", Ernest Hemingway – 350–353

Question 1: Who are the characters in this story? What is the principal problem that they are facing? What does Jig want to do? What does America want her to do?

Question 2: What are her responses to his wishes? In what ways can you determine what her wishes are? What is happening to her judgement about the American?

In the story "Hills like white elephants." This story is about a couple that have been traveling from hotel to hotel to be enjoying life. American and Jig are at a moment where they should confront their future. They are having disagreements about something life changing in their life.Their conflict is deciding if Jig should get an abortion.

The main characters...show more content...

The American seems to think that the process of the abortion is very simple. Jig seems like she just wants to be happy and please her boyfriend with whatever his choice is. She is having second thoughts if she should have the abortion. In the text it says, "and if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?" Jig seems like she will end up having the baby after all because she said, " It's all right for you to say that, but do I know it." She seems to think by this is that he is not going to be suffering because of her actions, she will be the one suffering.In the beginning Jig judgement was that she would do anything to make her boyfriend happy. At the end Jig seems to realize that she should go for what she feels is the right choice.

Through the whole process of the story Jig is stuck in a conflict if she should have an abortion or not. The American seems to not support her in having the baby. Her thinking seems to be if at the end she will make her boyfriend happy. It seems at the end that her thinking changed, because she seems to get mad at his responses.

We Real Cool by

Gwendolyn Brooks

I find this poem very interesting because it reminds me the years I was in high school. It sounds like the teenagers that will always be late to class. There was students that will not go to school and they felt that they were cool. This poem is describing a high school student that

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"Hills like White Elephant" is a short story by American novelist and poet, Ernest Hemingway, about a couple facing the "elephant in the room," an unplanned pregnancy. As if the situation wasn't difficult enough, the couple now has to deal with the conflict of one wanting to possibly keep the child, while the other doesn't. Hemingway unravels this complex relationship through symbolism, juxtaposing points of view, and societal influence during the time the piece was written. White elephants are seen as holy animals that require a lot of effort to take care of. Due to their expensive needs, they are also regarded as being a burden and useless item. Although the short story explores two different perspectives on the meaning of the title, "Hills Like White Elephant," both know the elephant symbolizes the unborn child. The American man views the elephant as ...show more content...

Hemingway uses prevailing speech in order to reveal his message. The story starts off with the couple ordering drinks and conversing about the hills across the valley. The man, during the conversation, snaps back at the woman with "Just because you say I wouldn't have doesn't prove anything." In this point of the story, the reader can tell that the man is clearly bothered and frustrated about something that is on his mind. It is until later Hemingway reveals what is on the man's mind. "It's really an awfully simple operation" introduces the internal conflicts the man and woman face. The man views this conflict as one that can be easily overcome, while the woman is indecisive. Hemingway's complex dialogue never discloses what "operation" the couple are talking about, however, through different lines in the story, the reader can conclude that the "operation" they are talking about is abortion. The man continues to say "They just let the air in and then it's Get more content

To Let The Air In The empowerment and the persistent drive for equality for women have become vastly common and effective in modern history. Women have exceeded past archaic stereotypical roles of the housewife, the mother and the submissive doormat to more empowering trajectories. Many debatable issues surround women's campaign of liberties including the broadly debated right to decide who has ultimate say in regards of getting an abortion. Ernest Hemingway wrote a story called, "Hills Like White Elephants" that conveyed the viewpoint of females centered around the topic . Well into character's development the reader sees Jig's ability to come to her own decision about the procedure and submit to the pressure of a culture controlled by men. The twenties was time of revitalization and expressing one's true identity. Everyone was seemingly focused on the finer things and indulged in hedonism. True socialites like Hemingway, would move to Europe to experience new culture and gain a new perspective of life. Moving to Europe for Hemingway was a renaissance; in essence, he was able to unleash new writing potential and began to become a renowned author. In the midst of his escalation of fame, Hemingway's wife became pregnant (Ernest Hemingway Biography n. pag.). Unfortunately, due to the fast–paced lifestyle of the Hemingways this celebratory moment was thought of as a nuisance. Hemingway was beginning to become the famous author he dreamed of becoming and a baby

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Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants "Hills Like White Elephants", by Ernest Hemingway, is a short story published in 1927 that takes place in a train station in Spain with a man and a woman discussing an operation. Most of the story is simply dialogue between the two characters, the American and Jig. This couple is at a critical point in their lives when they must decide whether or not to have an abortion. Certain themes arise from this story such as choices and consequences, doubt and ambiguity, and how men and women relate. Hemingway also uses many examples of symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants", including descriptions of the surrounding scenery, the hills themselves, and the station where the action takes place....show more content...

Certainly the fact that abortions are not legal at this time in Spain is also playing on the girl's mind (Short Stories for Students 159). The reader is also left with great doubt, as there is no resolution or decision given by Hemingway at the end of the story.

The final theme derived from this story is how men and women relate to each other. Most of Hemingway's stories are masculine in nature, but "Hills Like White Elephants" shows the woman's point of view as the more rational of the two (Short Stories for Students 158). The man is shown as being selfish and irresponsible by starting this relationship and then lacking the support Jig needs (Hamid 78). The American sees life as being very straightforward and rational, while Jig is considered to be romantic and living in an emotional world (Beacham 8). Clearly, these themes are still applicable in modern societies concerning this issue of abortion.

Hemingway uses many instances of symbolism in this short story to coincide with the themes and feelings of the characters, such as the description of the scenery surrounding the train station. 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 fact that the station divides these contrasts of environments is a symbol for the couple's decision. The choice to have the abortion symbolizes sterility, which coincides with Get more content

Symbolism In Hills Like White Elephants During the course of the story "Hills Like White Elephants" the author Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism to describe the main idea of the girl having the "operation." Hemingway uses the landscape, the white elephant, and the term "elephant in the room" to represent different aspects of the pregnancy and abortion. The landscape in the story represents choosing the abortion or choosing to keep the baby. The setting of the story is at a train station. On one side of the train track the landscape is "brown and dry" (Hemingway 123) and the other side is green and has rivers and mountains. The discussion that the man and girl are having is whether or not she wants to and will have an abortion. When the girl mentions the landscape she expresses that by going through with the abortion and trying to "drift through life they are choosing emotional and spiritual desiccation" (Holladay) meaning life will not be the same after it, therefore the dull and dead...show more content... The term "white elephant" refers to something that someone does not want because it is troublesome and difficult to get rid of. In the story the girl herself never says that she does not want the baby but the man says that if she gets the abortion that they'll be fine afterwards and be back to normal and says "its the only thing that's made us unhappy" because to him the baby will be a burden making it the white elephant to him(Hemingway 124). The decision on what to do with the baby is the white elephant for the girl because while she does not want to necessarily have an abortion the man is very pushy about her having it. That being the case, "the child is a white elephant only insofar as its father rejects it" (Weeks Jr. 76) making the decision on whether to keep the child or not the white elephant for the girl because she wants the baby and he does

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Freedom as the main motivator for personal growth in Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" and Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" Freedom is the most valuable possession of an individual. It defines our lives and how we perceive others. It helps us determine our own actions and lets us think with our own minds. In two short stories "The Story of an Hour" and "Hills Like White Elephants," freedom plays a major role as it defines and recreates two main characters – Mrs. Mallard and Jig. In "The Story of an Hour" Mrs. Mallard starts to feel her freedom when the news that her husband is dead reach her. When looking out of the window she saw "new spring of life," meaning that she could already sense her freedom. Until that point she was oppressed...show more content...

Both, Jig and Mrs. Mallard, show that they will not be ordered around anymore, but will seize the newly achieved freedom and become stronger people. In "The Story of an Hour" Mrs. Mallard experiences a "brief moment of illumination" and decides that "she would live for herself" from that point forward. Despite all that, the news of her husband's death is found to be false and when she sees that he is alive she is the one that dies. The doctor's understanding that she died "of the joy that kills" is false and reader is able to see that at the first glance. She died because of the exact opposite. She died out of sadness. In the "Hills Like White Elephants," after Jig begins to understand that she is the one in control of her mind and body, she finally stands up to the American by saying: "Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?" Repetition, like in "The Story of an Hour," plays an important role. She tells him to shut up and finally stops his persuasion and manipulation. She even threatens him by saying that "[she]'ll scream." She pushes herself to the limit and grasps her freedom tightly with both Get

In "Hills Like White Elephant" we see how life can be surprising and difficult, especially in relationships. In this essay, a brief commentary on these issues and how I think the story continues is provided. First, the story starts at the train stain in Spain, with a description of the view surrounds a tavern or a restaurant next to a train station. The story tells about a relationship between an American man and a girl named Jig, the girl describe the hills as "White Elephant" , the man seems to be uninterested and argues with her whether or not the hills look like white elephant. The symbol of white elephant meaning a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose. They start a new conversation about an operation that the man...show more content...

In my point of view I believe the man will not stop pushing her to have the operation and he will do all the possible ways to convince her. So the only two scenarios left, the one that she will have the operation driven by his persuading way and the love she has towards him. And the last scenario, which I believe they will end up with. The reason behind that I believe that they will break up is, they didn't even agree once in their conversation, their conversation always has a person who disagrees, and also the story implies that the girl starts to understand that their relationship won't return as it was before. In conclusion, the story "Hills Like White Elephants" is a very good story although it was published in August 1927, but we still learn from it and we still have same kind of problems and people these days. The author tells the story from the third–person narrator to show the real conversation, without including his opinion. He wrote four brief pages exceeds what many others can't cover in hundreds of Get more content

Hills Like White Elephants

Earnest Hemingway wrote "hills like white elephants" in 1927.The narrative is about young couple sitting in a train station near the Ebro valley in Madrid, Spain. It is a short story but Hemingway successfully uses the elements of fiction, such as plot. Plot is the sequence of incidents or events through which an author constructs a story and talented authors are cautious to present the sequence in a significant order. Despite the fact that the couple never leaves the train station, the story is filled with important events. Every detail about what is happening in the story is not written out obviously. The couple talks about normal things at the beginning like what the girl sees out the window and they should have to drink, but one can infer

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Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants presents a fictional example of the modern day prevalence of miscommunication among others, namely men and women. Depicted through the couple and the present issue at hand, Hemingway strives to allude to the unfortunate truth that despite constant speaking among beings, genuine communication continues to fall short and is nearly nonexistent. Existing is the lack of productivity when the true feelings of both parties are not expressed. Continuing this theory, rather than communicating, the couple simply endures one another's opinions, failing to share their true opinions, and in doing so defeating the main purpose in communicating. The dramatic dialogue between the...show more content...

This incapability is a factor that aids in handicapping the coming to a collective decision because she cannot get what she truly wants if she cannot express what that is. It is not solely the fault of the male or female. In this case, they jointly share the blame. When the story concludes, the issue of failed communication is almost reestablished. The ambiguity of the topic of conversation allows careful analysis of the bigger picture and message in Hills Like White Elephants. After the bickering back and forth, nothing has been truly accomplished. Their final exchange of words reveals the complete lack of understanding of eachother and how far they both are from eventually reaching a compromise. Stubborn and not willing to give up their personal desires, the couple leaves no room for anything to be accomplished. At this type of stand still, it is obvious that a relationship cannot prosper. Hemingway includes many aspects of reality stitched among his fictional story, whether intentional or not.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. New York: Scribner's, 1927. O'Brien, Timothy D. "Allusion, Word–Play, and the Central Conflict in Hemingway's 'Hills Like White Elephants'." www.csus.edu. 28 November 2011 .

Smiley, Pamela. "Gender–Linked Miscommunication in "Hils Like White Elephants"." 1988. 28 November 2011

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Given that we have known the sun to rise every morning without fail, we habitually consider it a certainty that it will occur again tomorrow. When in fact, the sun's rising tomorrow is not a certainty in the same way that five plus five equaling ten. Therefore, how do we know what we know? Can a person be sure that what he or she perceives is the same thing that another person perceives? Human thought consists of perception and biased perspectives that initially distinguish subjectivity as what we think or believe and objective reality as the world outside our minds. In Ernest Hemingway's, "Hills Like White Elephants", Fig uses subjectivity to illustrate the desire to share her perspective reality with her male companion. Analyzing Hemingway's

In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", the use of imagery and symbolism in the landscape of surrounding Ebro Valley, as well as the use of language and tone, shape our understanding of the conflict between the two main characters. The man referred to only by "The American", is trying to convince Jig to get an abortion. Though the word (abortion) is never stated directly in the entirety of the story, it is conveyed by the use of symbolism and imagery in the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, we can conclude that the topic at hand will come to a final and abrupt solution that Jig will, in fact, get the abortion due to her tone and language at the end of the story. In the beginning of the story, Jig makes a very subtle and almost unnoticeable comment that the hills surrounding Spain's Ebro Valley resemble White Elephants. Historically, in India and many parts of the eastern world, white elephants were gifts of "great honor and importance, but just like most gifts, they had a large price that went along with them. White elephants were extremely hard to care for and have no apparent use or utility for the person receiving it, and because of this many people who received them went into financial debt and some even lost everything that they owned. To...show more content...

The hidden meaning and context behind the white elephant symbol increases as the conflict and discussion over the pregnancy develops, and, historically, the gift of white elephants are rare, sacred, and pure, just like pregnancy and children. It is also a very prominent and abrasive story for modern day society. We are at a time in history where immoral sexual behavior and the regularness of abortion have become a normal day to day occurrence; which are all perfectly wrapped up and described in this

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Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" begins with an American man and a girl waiting at a Spanish train station in Barcelona for the express to take them to Madrid. They drink a variety of beers and discuss the "simple operation" the girl should have. The couple argues throughout the story about whether or not the woman should go through with her operation.

The tension between the two characters cuts through the air like a knife. My first impression of the woman was that she's very indecisive, can't even decide what to drink; she's also helpless, can't order drinks, so she relies on the man she is with to order in Spanish. The second time around, I had a lot of sympathy for this woman. She's in this relationship with a man who is passive

Ernest Hemingway reflects modernism in his short story, Hills Like White Elephants, by portraying modernism details and ideas. Ernest Hemingway illuminates the fragility of and emotional emptiness at the center of a relationship that is threatened by the interjection of an unborn child. Two elements of the modernist movement that are present in Hemingway's short story Is main idea structure and vague character description. These two elements are portrayed by the way Hemingway uses his words, details, and ideas.

Hemingway presents main idea structure in his short story by shocking his audience. Hemingway shocks his audience by the American and the girl having a baby out of wedlock. This shocks the readers because back then, it was unusual for a girl to have a baby without being...show more content...

Also, the American and the girl were big beer drinkers, and the girl drank while she was pregnant with the baby. This was also shocking to the audience because when you are pregnant, you do not drink beer. If a women drinks while she is pregnant, then she is harming the baby's health. In the story, while the American and girl are waiting at the train station they drink. They drink because its hot and because its something they enjoy doing. In the story, the man says, "It's pretty hot, let's drink beer."'

After the American said this, the waiter went and got them two big sizes of beer. These two examples are all apart of structure because modernism writers' goal was to shock their audience, and this short story would definitely shock readers.

Hemingway portrays vague character in his short story by not giving the readers many details at all about the characters. He calls the boy by the name of "American" and the girl by the name of "girl." He does not specify their birth name, age, or what they look like. I would assume that the author leaves those details out for the purpose of the reader to use their own imagination, and to make the characters up in their own head.

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Hills Like White Elephants

Hills Like White Elephants shows a seemingly simple discussion between Jig and an American man about the possibility of an operation. Yet, when the story is dissected it becomes apparent that they are discussing the possibility of an abortion. Nothing in the short story is mentioned or said without signaling a greater or different meaning. Hemingway used the surroundings of the train station to impact the story and designed the characters to properly show two varying personalities. Even though this is a very short story, it can be seen that Jig grows and changes whereas the American stays a very static character. The conversation between the couple is important, but the symbols are significant to indicate the underlying importance of the situation. Many themes could be analyzed from this story, but this paper will discuss the themes surrounding choice. The choice is an essential part of the story and relies on several aspects of the storytelling which intertwine to produce an invigorating discussion between two opposing viewpoints on abortion. In Hills Like White Elephants, symbols are used to portray the importance of choice, physical time portrays metaphorical time, and character dialogue is used to portray the importance of power. The importance of choice is made a noticeable theme by the use of several symbols in the short story. The American and Jig have an important decision to make, whether or not to proceed with the pregnancy. The fact that this discussion takes

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The story "Hills Like White Elephants", by Ernest Hemingway, sets up in Spain on a train station. A couple who are waiting for a train, are discussing an important topic that they both are trying to avoid but simultaneously solve. The man known identified as "American" is trying to persuade his girlfriend on having an operation. The American seems to be positive about his decision and looks like he does not want to change his mind. In the other hand, the girl is indecisive on the whole idea of the operation throughout most of the story. The American orders beers for the two frequently throughout their conversation. The operation that they both speak about is mostly hinted on being an abortion. The girl is pregnant with the American's baby and he is trying to persuade her into proceeding with the operation. The girl comments that the hills look like white elephants and the American says that he had never seen one, to which she remarks "no you wouldn't have." The white elephant represents something that no one wants. If you picture a hill standing up, it looks like the stomach of a pregnant women. The girl says that the hills look like ...show more content...

The ending of this story, like the majority, exhibited an ambiguous, yet somewhat hopeful ending. Hemingway tried to use the context of the girl's comparison of the hills to white elephants as a way to show disconnection on the true topic (mostly hinted to being abortion); meaning, her retraction of that comparison in the end can be interpreted as her changing her stance and deciding to keep the baby. It is important that the story ends with both the American and his girlfriend on the same page because it backs up the feelings the narrative evokes (which is a feeling of inability to understand and communicate with one another, since before this final scene they had just

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The main character in the short story "Hills Like White Elephants," written by Ernest Hemingway, is an older man known as the American. The American and the girl are having some beers called Anis del Toro, which the girl compares to "liquorice"outside the station as they wait for the train to Madrid. The two have an tense argument, and soon the man begins trying to convince Jig to have an abortion, which the man reassures her is "awfully simple....not really an operation at all....all perfectly natural." "But i don't want you to to it if you don't really want to," he says repeatedly. She agrees to have the abortion, but says, "Then i'll do it. Because I don't care about me." The American in the short story, "Hills Like White Elephants by Hemingway, seems to be caring, but is in reality more of a insensitive, uncaring man who tries to persuade Jig into an abortion. Throughout the story, the American pressures Jig to have an abortion. He makes it seems as if it will become a huge...show more content...

Even when he maintains that he wants the girl to have an abortion only if she wants to have one, his sincerity is not true. When he says, "If you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to," he is not convincing. From his earlier statements, it is obvious that he does not want the responsibility that a child would bring. Without a baby, they can continue to travel. He strongly wants her to have this abortion and definitely seems to be very unresponsive to the girl's feelings. When he promises to be with Jig during the "simple" operation he's being insincere again. Just because it seems simple to him, it may be physically and emotionally damaging to her. "I've known lots of people that have done it," he says. This makes me thinks that he has been with other women and have convinced them to have the operation and then leave Get

Hills Like White Elephants

Symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants" Ernest Hemingway's "The Hills Like White Elephants" is a short story published in 1927 about an American man and a woman named Jig. The setting of this story takes place at a train station located in Spain surrounded by hills, trees, and fields. Other devices used by Hemingway throughout this story include imagery, simile, excellent syntax, and a very tense and emotional tone. In the beginning of the story, the American and Jig sit outside of the train station waiting for their train to Madrid. While waiting, time is spent describing the beautiful scenery around them, such as the white hills. During the wait for their train, they plunge into a deep discussion in regards to Jig's implied pregnancy. The American is in the midst of attempting to convince Jig that the operation– implying an abortion – is her best option. Throughout the story, while Jig is struggling with whether or not she will have the operation, it is evident that the couple has extreme communication difficulties. They disagree on most topics that they discuss and they usually are never on the same page. The American is bent towards Jig's abortion, and thus Jig is caught up in an internal battle of whether she will please her man or if she will choose life for her unborn child. This short story can be very confusing and is easily misunderstood because of how well Hemingway disguises underlying meaning. Many topics are left unsettled or unsaid throughout this story,