Raja Sharma

Ernest Hemingway has long been praised and famous for his iceberg theory in writing literature. The thinking behind this theory is that if the writer cleverly disguises 7/8 of the story under the water, only 1/8 of the storyline is visible. Hemingway, a master of his acclaimed technique, uses this method to guide the reader through short but laconic dialogue on a journey of discovery in reading between the lines. This technique works extraordinarily well with the plot behind this short story because it involves a couple on a train at a crossroads, both metaphorical and literal. This piece of outstanding literature is rife with symbolism and will no doubt prove to be an enjoyable read over and over again. Published in 1927 during an important part of the woman’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century, Hemingway indirectly alludes to the taboo topic of abortion. The couples, Jig and ‘the man’, are traveling in Spain, indulging in the many pleasures of drinking and sightseeing. Assumingly this is to push the thought of abortion and her unplanned pregnancy to the back of their minds. However Hemingway cleverly allows it to surface as the proverbial ‘elephant in the room’. A classic piece of American literature, ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ is both a touchstone element in Universities and public schools and widely recognized work in libraries throughout America!… (plus d'informations)

Hills Like White Elephants is a strong testament to the influence of social constraint on the individual. The story (about a young couple contemplating an abortion) deconstructs the insecurities and guilt that motivate our decision to live according to the status quo. The central character in this argument is the girl (a noun specifically chosen by the author), named Jig. She has been traveling abroad with her lover, (only referred to as the man, or the American) for some time enjoying a hedonistic tourist lifestyle of fine hotels, dining, and drinking. She is at a crossroads due to her pregnancy. Her lover is coercing her to abort the pregnancy, and she has a strong desire to please him. "And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?" she asks of him. Clearly she's putting her own wishes aside for his adoration, a sign of their dysfunctional relationship.
But on the other hand, she feels that she should raise the child. The story alludes to the idea that Jig is growing tired of her shallow and materialistic lifestyle, and is searching for some kind of deeper meaning. At one points she remarks "That's all we do, isn't it? Look at things and try new drinks." So she a desire to settle down that is working in conflict with her desire to please her lover.
However, there is a completely different issue underlying both desires. Jig is struggling with her attachments to the concepts of family life and romantic love. Women are programmed from a young age to believe that the only way they can be fulfilled in life is by being a wife and a mother, and here Jig is trying to decide which one to be. Why does she feel she needs to be either? Like many other women, Jig feels that she can only find value in what she can be to someone else (a good wife, or a good mother), but doesn't consider what she wants out of her own life. This cultural guilt that motivates her to satisfy other people is the meaning behind the line "I don't care about me."
Ultimately, Hemingway does ambiguously suggest that Jig leaves the American to have the child, suggesting the idea that the character does mature and stand up for herself, ending on the notion that she will try and take her life into her own hands. Overall, this is a well written story, with tightly composed body of symbols, dialogue, and character, demonstrating an intense personal conflict within a few pages and with sparse action.… (plus d'informations)

Without even knowing the true meaning behind Hemingway’s short story, “Hills Like White Elephants”, one can already assume that there is a high concentration of symbolism within the context. After reading “Hills Like White Elephants”, I was left bewildered as to the true meaning of what I had just read; Furthermore, I sought to derive meaning out of its title to get a clue. White elephants can be perceived in numerous ways. For one thing, the color white implies purity and virginity. When combined with the gentle giant, otherwise known as the elephant, the combination must result in peacefulness and serenity. After re-reading the short story, I came to the conclusion that it dealt with the prospect of abortion. As the woman sees the Spanish hills in the distance, it is almost as if she is imagining her tummy in the weeks to come. Consumed with disillusionment, Jig, or the “girl”, engages in a series of desperate pleas with the “American”. Even Hemingway’s characters possess a high degree symbolism. The “American” man clearly enrolls in his duties of being a stock character; He is the quintessential, unsympathetic man during the 1920’s woman’s suffrage movement. Jig, on the other hand, symbolizes a woman who is battling a man vs. man, and a man vs. society situation. With such an abrupt ending, Hemingway leaves Jig’s decision as to whether she should become independent, or to continue to be subservient to a man. Symbolisms pervade “Hills Like White Elephants” in order for its readers to be imaginative like Jig and her elephants.… (plus d'informations)

“Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, symbolizes a conflict between a couple about whether or not to abort an unwanted pregnancy. The theme of this story is implied through a dialogue between the man and girl and their unique perspectives about their surroundings. The girl’s observation of her surroundings is that the hills look like white elephants, which is a symbol of fertility. The fact that she notices the hills could be Hemingway’s method of portraying the girl’s subconscious desire to continue her pregnancy. On the other hand, the man in the relationship recognizes the flat, barren land next to the mountains, which reveals his wants for the girl to give up their unborn child.
Regardless of the characters’ perspectives, the comparison between them is important because of the authoritative figure the man has in the relationship. The man’s status is evident when Hemingway introduces him as “the man” and his partner as “the girl.” The fact that she is labeled as “the girl” sets up her role in the dialogue in the beginning. But despite the demeaning status of the girl, it is implied that she makes her own decision at the end to keep her child by responding to the man and saying “there’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.”… (plus d'informations)