Hills like white elephants criticism. Hills Like White Elephants Study Guide from LitCharts 2019-01-12

SparkNotes: Hills Like White Elephants: Themes

Initially, I found it confusing and hard to understand. The girl implies this herself when she remarks that she and the American man never do anything together except try new drinks, as if constantly looking for new ways to avoid each other. Introduction The American man wants Jig to have an abortion so they can go back to their normal lives of traveling and drinking and being carefree. Hemingway is able to say indirectly… 1911 Words 8 Pages C2C Eric J Holm 10 Dec 2015 Dr. This may be a way to further undermine her decision making ability.

Hills Like White Elephants

The meaning is hidden and has to be deciphered. The American especially is not ready to take responsibility even remotely despite insisting on forcing her to abort the baby. She has a baby which is, at this time in her life, useless to her. A couple sits and waits for a train to Madrid, Spain overlooking the long white hills across the Valley of Ebro. She is seen as a victim of the American man. It is a story about a man and a woman waiting at a train station talking about an issue that they never name. They seem to have been on vacation for quite some time and they are brought back to reality by something big.

Hills Like White Elephants Analysis

In Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway uses symbols to teach the reader certain things that one may encounter during daily life. Significantly, their conversation begins with a discussion of what to drink, suggesting how central alcohol has become to their avoidance of real communication. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Ernest Hemingway frequently uses various literary elements in his writing to entice the reader and enhance each piece that he writes. Through the characters' dialogue in which they avoid a substantial conversation and implicitly state their disappointment in life, Hemingway explores the emptiness generated by pleasure-seeking actions. Considering the point of view, the significance of the location and its relevance to the story, the structure of the text, the symbolic meaning of the two landscapes and the title of the story, the entrails of the story are exposed. But the story ends without clear resolution, so this does not show is they manage to find common ground.

Hills Like White Elephants Study Guide from LitCharts

The success of a relationship depends on the capacity to truly love and care for another person outside of ourselves. The relationship between the man and the girl is characterized by silence, small talk, and outbursts of irritation, along with drink after drink. The story is mostly about how they discuss the issue, what choices they explore, what choices they do not explore, and how they go to get a clear resolution about the issue. The best kind of literature are short stories. Symbolism in 'Hills Like White Elephants' The first symbol we have in the story is the white elephant.

Analysis of 'Hills Like White Elephants' by Ernest Hemingway

His main emphasis in Hills Like White Elephants seems to be symbolism. He also frequently says she doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to, which indicates that he's describing an elective procedure. The woman looks at pregnancy as a beautiful aspect of life. Falling Action Jig sits back down and they order another beer. Certain themes arise from this story such as choices and consequences, doubt and ambiguity, and how men and women relate. The hills of Spain, to the girl, are like white elephants in their bareness and round, protruding shape.

Critical Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants Essay

His analysis is appropriate for this one story but can also be applied to other stories wherein the truth of the tale is not expressed directly Auerbach 3. I feel the man is encouraging her to have the abortion done in his own selfish way. She is unclear about what she wants and needs, and she is unable to make up her mind. In 'Hills Like White Elephants,' Ernest Hemingway uses both meanings as a way of symbolizing the magnitude of the decision 'the girl' has to make - does she keep the baby or not? These remarks play on the theme. They are waiting for a train to Madrid. One point of debate is whether or not the woman decides to get an abortion.

Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway “Hills Like White Elephants” Summary and Analysis

Most of the story is simply dialogue between the two characters, the American and Jig. Her body being the fertile land on which the white hills were. This also relates to Hemingway composing Hills Like White Elephants along with many of his other works. Jig wonders if being a parent means anything to him. And Jig is the nickname of the woman. On the other hand, we feel that the girl is not at all sure that she wants an abortion.

Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants Essay

As the main theme of the story, he relies on symbolism to convey the idea of an abortion. The time period the story mostly relates to is when he was married to Hadley and having an affair with Pauline. In contrast, we have no idea how to react to Hemingway's characters. It elaborates on how an irresponsible couple unaccustomed to serious communication interact in a poison relationship and try to manipulate each other to get what they want. The girl wants to continue on with her life of exploring the world with the addition of the baby, but the man says that it would take the world away from them. It is important that we learn from them and avoid making more in the future.