“ Hills LikeWhite Elephants” is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway that waspublished in 1927.
The story takes place in a train station in Spain. There aretwo central characters, the American and Jig. They are having a very seriousconversation about a pivotal point in their relationship. They are discussingabout a certain operation that is not specifically explained in the story, butit is implied to be an abortion. There are themes of doubt and ambivalence aswell as the consequences that result from difficult choices. Jig is pregnant withthe American’s child. The story focuses on the pregnancy, and the topic ofabortion. Jig was probably a creation of Hemmingway’s thoughts on abortion.
Itcould also be about how us as humans trying to please others while goingagainst our own beliefs. The American comes off as impetuous towards Jig despitehis kind words. He seems to not care about Jig’s feelings and thoughts and onlyseems to care about his own. The setting introduces a tenseatmosphere that keeps up throughout the entire story.
The first use of imagery isin the introduction of the story, The tworail lines represent the two choices that face the couple. Jig seems to care alot for the American, so much so that she is torn between the two difficult decisions. The surroundings of the train station plays a crucial role in the story withits symbolism. . Jig says that the long andwhite hills “ look like white elephants”. A white elephant could berepresenting an expensive item that could be a burden financially.
The colorwhite could symbolize the innocence of her unborn child. , referring to the abortion, shows histrue desire to keep their relationship the way it is by not bringing a childinto their life. Jig has many doubts about the situation, but she goes alongwith it so they can keep the lifestyle they’ve always had. The story shows the reality ofpeople’s lives around the world. The struggle to choose what people believe isright or wrong. Hemmingway presents a piece with truth behind the ink. It allowsthe reader to possibly relate to what he is trying to convey. He really bringsup an issue that was not talked about enough during the time it was written.
