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Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway

1. What are the two main characters actually talking about, and how do you know this?

The plot of Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ centres on a conversation held between a man
‘The American’ and a woman ‘The Girl’, whilst at a train station between two cities in Spain. They are
discussing an unplanned pregnancy. Although the words ‘baby’ and ‘abortion’ are omitted from the
discussion the author effectively conveys the subject through the use of symbolism and articulate
dialogue. The dialogue suggests the man is pressuring the woman to have some sort of operation: ‘It’s
really an awfully simple operation, Jig’, he goes on to say: ‘It’s just to let the air in’. Powerful imagery,
in particular the title, alludes to the nature of the operation. Hills are symbolic of a woman’s body when
pregnant, ‘white elephants’ personify the child. The American means for Jig, as he calls her, to have
an abortion as he does not want the burden of a child: ‘I only want you [Jig]’. The woman however
remains ambivalent.

2. Comment on the significance of the title.

The title ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ is symbolically significant, effectively personifying the abortion. In
the story, Jig comments on the hills in the background: ‘they look like white elephants’. On a literal
level the hills probably do look like white elephants, contrasted against the barren land. Metaphorically
she is associating the hills, symbolic of a pregnant woman’s stomach and swollen breasts, with ‘white
elephants’. Hemingway utilizes the cultural significance of ‘white elephants’ to describe something
‘unwanted’. In ancient times, Thai Kings would present white elephants, of which the cost of upkeep
was ruinously high, to subordinates whom he became displeased with. This association is reinforced
when Jig articulates: ‘They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin
through the trees’. The use of the word ‘skin’ in favour of ‘hide’ is significant, drawing a parallel
between white elephants and the woman’s stomach. Thus, the distant hills become a symbol of her
pregnancy – a precious gift to herself, an expensive burden to the man.

3. How does Ernest Hemingway use writing techniques to communicate ideas and influence the
reader’s response?

Hemingway uses a variety of techniques, primarily dialogue, figurative language, characterisation and
setting, to affect the reader’s response. The story is written in the third person. The reader is,
effectively, a ‘fly-on-the-wall’, observing a tense conversation held between a man and a woman. It is
clearly implied that the conversation concerns abortion, however this is not the central theme of the
text. ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ is a study of human communication (or lack thereof).

The author effectively uses characterisation to communicate central themes within the text. The man,
appropriately named ‘The American’, is depicted as a conceited and highly pragmatic character. In the
text, he refers to ‘the girl’ as Jig, a word often associated with a tool. The man has thus ‘objectified’
her, he ‘uses’ her for enjoyment, her youthful ignorance amuses him. However, as he demonstrates
through his disregard for the risks associated with abortions, she is essentially disposable. The
repetition of ‘I know’ in the man’s speech further accentuates his superiority. The author directly
relates ‘shadow’ or ‘shade’ to the man’s power, influencing the reader’s understanding of the situation.
Initially, as the couple sit under the shade of the building, the man controls the conversation. Jig relies
on him to translate the language, indicating her dependence on him. Later when Jig moves out of the
shade and into the sun she expresses her own opinion freely. Sensing this, the man asks her to ‘come
on back in the shade’, under his control. Prior to the arrival of the train, Jig is again sitting at the table
under the shade. She has resigned to the abortion, exercising sarcasm: ‘There’s nothing wrong with
me. I feel fine’. Hemmingway has effectively manipulated imagery and dialogue to influence the
reader’s understanding of the situation.
 SACE: 849906H

Hemingway’s clever use of symbolism is imperative to the story, conveying to the readers the
significance of the ambiguous dialogue. This is evident when, after trying the anis Del Toros and
stating its likeness to liquorice, Jig articulates: ‘everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things
you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.’ The drink represents the excitement the American offers Jig.
Like Absinthe, sweet at first, it has a bitter after taste. She is dissatisfied with their life: ‘that’s all we do,
isn’t it – look at things and try new drinks?’ Bamboo bead curtains are a recurring motif in the text.
Whilst discussing the couple’s future, Jig distractedly grasps two strings of beads. Bamboo is an
extremely fertile plant, growing centimetres in just hours – this corresponds to their relationship before
the pregnancy. The two beads Jig examines are dead, signifying both the abortion and the future of
the couple’s relationship.

The setting of ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ is particularly significant, effectively communicating to the
reader’s the major ideas of the text. The couple wait at a ‘junction’ for an ‘express’ from Barcelona to
take them to Madrid. Metaphorically, they are trapped in limbo ‘between two lines of rails in the sun’,
symbolising the decision Jig must make, there are only two directions, or ‘choices’ – abortion or family
life. Hemingway has placed the station between two contrasting landscapes, illustrating Jig’s
uncertainty. The side on which the couple sits is ‘brown and dry’, with ‘no shade and no trees’,
bounded by long, white hills. The white hills symbolise Jig’s pregnancy, the ‘pure’ choice. However,
the dry, barren land before them personifies her probable future. The absence of shade (‘the
American’) suggests the man will leave her to be a single mother. This represents the harder decision
of the two, a dull though stable existence. In contrast, the other side, from which they will depart, has
‘fields of grain and trees’, essentially a paradise. This ‘fruitful’ environment symbolises the couple’s
strong relationship if Jig goes through with the abortion. The jagged mountains in the distance
illustrate the couple’s volatile, spontaneous lifestyle. The cloud’s (man’s) presence ‘sustains’ her
colourful life. This direction holds a pleasurable and prosperous future for Jig; it is the ‘rational’ option.

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