The Hills Like White Elephants

The Hills Like White Elephants

The short story “Hills Like White Elephants” is a narration by Ernest Hemingway which got published in August 1927. The story is about a young man and his girlfriend, who are sitting at a train station waiting for a train that will take them to Madrid. The guy suggests that once they arrive in Madrid, the girl should have an abortion. Ernest Hemingway applies several themes, stylistic devices and symbolism to help the reader get a more straightforward flow of the story. The short story is non-complex and easy to understand; hence the reader can get a good flow of ideas, and apply imagery to enjoy the narration.

Characters

            The story “Hills Like White Elephants” has only three characters named as the American man, the girl named Jig and the waitress who serves them drinks. The American man, who is not named, is the male protagonist of the story. The man tries to convince the girl to get an abortion but does not seem to care what the girl does. The girl named Jig, is the female protagonist of the story who is in a relationship with the American man. She is reluctant in deciding whether to do an abortion or to keep the pregnancy and is not sure whether she should talk about it in-depth with her boyfriend. The waitress serves drinks to the couple and only speaks Spanish. The nature of the narrative makes it hard to decipher whether there is another character in the story.

Plot

The story takes place at a train station in Spain during the mid-1920s, where a man and his girlfriend, named Jig sit waiting for an express train to Madrid. The couple order some drinks as they wait, which are brought by the waitress and they drink while they chat. As they talk, the girl looks at the hills beyond and claims that it looks like white elephants, and his boyfriend says that he has never seen one. The girl then shifts her attention to playing with a curtain, and she notices a new painting on it. The man tells her that it is an advertisement for an alcoholic drink and she suggests that they should try it. The girl, Jig, makes some playful conversation claiming that all they do in the relationship is trying new drinks, but the man attempts to avoid the discussion.

As the wind blows against the table, the man talks about a minor operation that she wants his girlfriend to consider. He assures the girl that many people have gone through the “operation” and that they will continue to live happily ever after. Jig agrees, claiming that she does not care about what will happen to her and adds that they could have everything they want, but they are making it impossible. However, the American man disagrees with her, and this brings up an argument, and the girl says that they should stop talking.

The man adds that she should not feel obliged to go through the operation if she does not want to. He adds that he will not leave her side throughout the whole process. The woman seeks assurance on whether the man cares about her, and when the man says that he will do anything for her, the woman suggests that he should stop talking. The waitress serves them two more beers and informs them that the train will arrive in minutes. The man takes their suitcases, which have stickers of the places they had visited, to the other side at stops at the bar for another drink on his way back. When he gets back, he asks the woman how she is feeling, and she says that she feels fine.

Setting

            The author sets the story, “Hills Like White Elephants” at a train station to indicate that the couple’s relationship was at crossroads. The train station is a stopping point between Barcelona and Madrid where passengers decide where to go. In the story, the man and his girlfriend are faced with the choice whether or not to proceed with the abortion and their relationship. Jig is torn between two landscapes, as she praises the beauty of the hills and also stares at the empty dry land. The difference between the white hills and the dry land shows the connection between life and death as the girl decided whether to go on with the abortion or not.

Style

            In this narration, Ernest Hammington uses internal monologues such as “she said” and “he said” where the characters use only a few words at a time. The styles leave the power of interpretation to the readers’ ability entirely. The nature of the story is pure, and all the ideas are direct and condensed. Additionally, the short length of the narration makes the themes and the ideas of the author more powerful.  Hemingway fans love his simple style of writing, that is different from other stories since less complicated words paint a better picture to the reader.

Foreshadowing

            The author uses foreshadowing in this story helps the reader to participate in the narration. When the girl comments on the hills looking like white elephants, the man’s reaction predicts the beginning of an argument. Additionally, as they get their last drink, the waitress informs them that the train will arrive in five minutes. The comment predicts the end of the story as the couple will board the train and continue with their journey.

Furthermore, during the conversation, the girl takes a break and her mind is swayed by the valley’s beauty. Her mood is however darkened by a shadow of a cloud moving across the field. The shadow of the cloud foreshadows the death of the girl’s unborn baby if she gives in to the man’s wishes.

Themes

Communication

The author presents a story in which the couple is struggling with communication issues which hinders them from solving problems in their relationship. Among these issues is the abortion that the man wants, but Jig, his girlfriend, does not appear to favour. The two have different opinions and views on how to deal with their current situation. Furthermore, the author exposes a couple dealing with an emergency where each person has a different idea and feeling on the best way of handling the case.

The reader can note their poor communication skills from the first moments. For example, when Jig notices that the hills look like white elephants, her boyfriend says that he has never seen one and Jig, in turn, responds in a rude manner (Hemingway 475). However, her reply can be justified by the pressure that she is receiving from her boyfriend on aborting their child. Instead of communicating her feelings, Jig pretends that the issue does not bother her, but she is terrified since her boyfriend has not shown any signs that he would like to marry her. On the other hand, jigs boyfriend shows some efforts to fully express himself when he says that Jig should not go on with the abortion if she does not want to. It is evident that they both genuinely care about each other, but lack the proper skills to communicate their feelings effectively.

Freedom Versus Family

At the beginning of the narration, it is clear that the couple is used to a free life with no commitments, travelling to many destinations without restrictions. The decision to continue with the pregnancy would mean a change in their fun lifestyle and start a family of their own. The man is not ready to settle down, and he thinks that procuring an abortion is the easiest way out. Jig, on the other hand, is willing to become a mother, and she feels that keeping the pregnancy promises a world in which they could have everything. The man’s suggestion that his girlfriend should do an abortion also shows that he prioritizes his freedom to start a family with Jig (Alashjaai 204). However, Jig surrenders her sovereignty and gives in to her boyfriend’s suggestion, which implies that she was not free from the beginning.

Symbolism

            At the beginning of the narration, the reader is introduced to the landscape which is brought out as brown and dry with no trees. Contrary to the image created in the readers mind of a desert like landscape, it is indicated at the beginning of the narration that the story actually unfolds beside the Ebro river. Jig describes the hills along the river as lovely, mainly the colouring of their skin through the trees. The description of the land as dry symbolizes the loneliness and alienation between the couple while the fertile land represents the girl’s possibility of motherhood. The different specifications of the landscape represent the conflicting opinion of the man who thinks that she should procure an abortion which she does not want. The flowing of the river also symbolizes the passage of time that the couple waste in drinking alcohol and the short time that they have to decide whether they will do an abortion or not.

Also, water in this narration symbolizes the girl’s pregnancy since water produces living things and makes them grow. On the other hand, the couple consumed a high amount of alcoholic drinks as they waited for the train to arrive. A drink is the only source of relief that the couple can get from the hot sun and the complications of their relationship. However, alcohol is only short-term relief from their issues and the chance to forget their troubles.

Point of View

            The author narrates the story from a third-person objective point of view. The narrator avoids the use of first-person pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘we’ since he is not a participant in any event that takes place in the story. An objective point of view means that the narrator cannot report on the characters’ thoughts but only what is tangible and audible to those who might be present. The narrator does not also report on the emotions and feelings of the girl, but only reports what she says or does. The point of view helps the author to effectively deliver the themes and leaves the readers with their own choice of interpretations, just like the characters in the story.

Conclusion

The short story, “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is a unique short story that uses simple language, symbolism and few characters to help the reader quickly get the intended message. The few instances of conflicts capture the attention of the reader, where the actions of the characters could completely change the fate of their lives. Every reader gets a chance to interpret for themselves or judge the characters according to their understanding. Hemingway is successful is entertaining his fans as always with his short and non-complex short stories.

Outline

• The title of the narration and the author’s name, with a summary of the story, and a thesis statement.
• An introduction of the characters and a brief description of the roles they play in the story.
• The story’s setting is about giving out details of the environment and the characters of the story.
• A brief description of the environmental setting of the story to enhance imagery to the reader.
• A brief explanation of the nature of the story and the styles that Ernest Hemmingway uses to deliver his message.
• The foreshadowing style that helps create a sense of suspense in the reader’s mind.
• The communication theme that is communicated by the author expressing how the couple in the story found it hard to communicate their feelings.
• The freedom versus family theme that brings out conflict to make the story more interesting.
• The symbolism used to reveal deeper meanings. The author mostly uses natures objects like the river and the hills to symbolize the feelings and attitudes of the characters.
• The use of the third person objective point of view since he is not a character and does not intend the explain the characters’ emotions.
• The conclusion summarizes the narration and the literacy devices used to pass on the themes.

Work cited

Alashjaai, Nouf Fahad. “The Interpersonal Relationship between Jig and the American in Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants”.”

Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills like white elephants.” Men without women (1927).