Analysis: Hills like white Elephants

 

Plot Summary

     In the short story Hills like white elephants by Ernest Hemingway, it isn't difficult to guess what the character Jig and her boyfriend "The American" are dancing around. The story opens with a man and a woman waiting for a train to Madrid. The couple engage in light chit-chat, choosing to drink beer while they wait. The woman then notices that the hills in the distance resemble white elephants. The words "Anis del Toro" are painted on the hills. The man tells her that this is the name of a drink, and order's a couple for them to try. After tasting it, the girl decides that it tastes too much like licorice.
     The mood turns sour, leading to the woman to take back what she said about the hills. After an awkward moment of silence, the man reveals the reason that they are waiting for the train. "It's really zan awfully simple operation, Jig." It seems innocent enough, the girl is worried about having surgery.
     And then, he say's this: "I know you wouldn't mind it, Jig. It's really not anything. It's just to let the air in." Let the air in where? The woman doesn't say anything in reply, "I'll go with you, and stay with you al the time. They just let the air in and it's all perfectly natural." He then states, making it almost clear what is going to happen. The woman, Jig, asks him how he knows that everything will be all right. "That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's making us unhappy." He replies. Now it's clear what their trip to Madrid is for.
     At this point in the story, we can see that the couple is on their way to have an abortion. Although it is never strictly mentioned, the couple's conversation alludes to it. The conversation continues, revealing that the man is trying to convince the woman, but still make it seem like her choice. She questions whether or not he will still love her, and is reassured that the man loves her and always will. Why then, is he nearly forcing her to go through with it? Finally, she tells him that she'll do it, because she doesn't care about herself. He tells her that he wouldn't want her to do it if she doesn't want to, but she tells him that she is going to do it.
     At this point, Jig gets up and walks to the end of the station. The description of the scenery also begins to hint towards the situation at hand. The train tracks split the landscape in half, much like the man and Jig are separated by the decision to terminate their unplanned pregnancy. On one side of the tracks, the side that the couple is waiting, is dry and dead. On the other side of the tracks, the land is green and fertile. While looking at the landscape, the woman says "And we could have all this...And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible." Possibly referring to her desire to keep the baby, while keeping her life the same. The man tells her that they can still have everything, if she follows through with the procedure. He doesn't seem to understand what she exactly she wants. He says that they can still have the world, no matter what she chooses to do. Jig tells him that "It isn't ours anymore." though it isn't clear if she is talking about the world or the baby. "No, it isn't. And once they take it away, you can never get it back." At this point, it is unclear whether she wants to keep the baby or go through with the procedure. She tells him that she doesn't want to talk about it anymore. The man starts to show signs of regret, possibly changing his mind about the procedure himself.
     At the end of the story, the man takes their bags to the end of the station, their decision made. He comes back to his companion, asking if she feels better. The story finishes with Jig telling him "I feel fine...There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine."
     So, at the end of the story, it looks like they are planning on following through with their original plans.  

symbolism in the story

 

     The white elephants 

          A white elephant is often used to symbolize something that is not wanted. In this case, it's the couple's unborn baby. At first used as an offhand remark, the hills begin the conversation about the pregnancy. Later in the conversation, the woman takes back what she says, noting that the hills are actually "Quiet lovely." In this way, it seems that she may want to keep the baby after all.

 

Character analysis

 

     The American:

         Throughout the story, the man is only referred to as "The American", or "The man". The personality of the man is depicted as Hemingway's stereotypical view of masculinity. He is rugged and manly, unwilling to show his emotions or discuss the situation at hand.

    

     The woman (Jig):

          The woman is depicted as shy and misguided, unable to make a decision regarding her unborn child. It is shown throughout the story that she has conflicted emotions about both the baby and her boyfriend.