Literary Analysis of Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’

The novella Hills Like White Elephants presents an individual identified as the American and his partner, who is seated at a table outside the station, patiently anticipating the arrival of a train. Though the lady is reluctant about it, the male is trying to talk her into having an abortion. Their sharp, clipped conversation gives the narrative its urgency. Published in 1927, the story is now frequently anthologized, perhaps due to its use of symbolism and being written evidence of Hemingway's Iceberg Theory. This article seeks to understand Hemingway's use of symbolism, motifs, and setting in this narration.

First, alcohol consumption serves as a recurring motif that underscores the characters' attempts to avoid addressing their relationship issues directly. To ignore one another and the issues in their relationship, the American guy and the female protagonist both consume alcohol throughout their talk. The instant they are at the station, they start downing big beers as though they want to do anything but talk. Then, to avoid talking about the baby, the girl wants to get more drinks as soon as they start talking about the hills that resemble white elephants. Though their main reason for drinking is to escape thinking about the pregnancy, readers can tell that their relationship has more issues than just the baby. The girl suggests as much when she says she wants to try a new drink, as all they did together was look at things and drink (Hemmingway 2)", as though they are always trying to find new ways to avoid one another. After their talk, the man at the bar and the lady at the table each drink alone, implying that they will break up and go their separate ways. Here, drinking liquor has been used to mark critical junctures in their relationship and map out the lack of communication in this relationship.

Moreover, the symbolism of white elephants in the story highlights the underlying tension and the characters' conflicting desires regarding the unborn child. In this scenario, the unborn child symbolizes a white elephant, an undesirable possession to all. Although first appearing as a casual remark, the girl and the American seize upon it as an opportunity to discuss their child and the possibility of undergoing an abortion. Subsequently, the girl reconsiders her previous statement and highlights that the hills do not resemble white elephants strongly (Hemingway 3). She believes that the hills are exquisite and that, at initial observation, they seem like white elephants. This subtle observation suggests that she may choose to retain the child, a message that the American disregards. This shows that he wants nothing to do with the baby.

Furthermore, the train station setting acts as a metaphorical crossroads, emphasizing the critical decision point in the protagonists' relationship. Hemingway situates his tale in a train station to emphasize the pivotal transitional moment in the connection between the two protagonists. Sited in the heart of a barren valley, the station serves as an intermediate stopover rather than an ultimate goal between Barcelona and Madrid (Hemingway 1). This subliminally highlights that decisions must be made, and the time and place are already upon the characters. Moreover, the contrast between the white hills and the bleak valley highlights the distinction between life, deterioration, productivity, and infertility. This is similar to the girl's dilemma of choosing between keeping and terminating the pregnancy, as her relationship depended on the decision.

In conclusion, Hills Like White Elephants is a profound narrative that offers more depth with each subsequent reading. The usage of symbolism, motifs, and setting is an integral part of the narrative, leading to the creation of a meaningful and deep world. The narrative concludes with the pair anticipating their train's imminent arrival in five minutes. There is a lack of finality and a lack of explicit determination regarding abortion, as is typical of the author’s iceberg theory. Hemingway's skillful integration of environment and symbolism enhances the richness of each line, allowing for the inclusion of many details.