Ernest Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Analysis
Jazlyn Ross
Professor Szpila
English 110
12 July 2012
Analysis of Hills like White elephants
In Hills like White elephants by Ernest Hemingway it’s not about what is on the page it’s about what not actually on the page. What I mean by this is in this short story in order to fully comprehend what is truly going on you must read between the lines. The crazy thing about reading between the lines is the whole story is in dialogue, and the short story is about what it not said. The whole story is between two characters having a conversation, within the conversation they use subliminal key words like “operation” and “Hills” to show you there is a deeper meaning to their conversation. Reading between the dialogue starts at the very beginning before the text even begins, reading between the lines starts with the title. Hills like white elephants, what does that mean? You can look at hill as though you never know what it on the other side of the hill; you never know exactly what is going to happen. The two characters are at a point in their lives where they do not know what is going to happen. White elephants are seen as unwanted, a burden, expensive. Well if you were to look at them from this point of view the two characters are at a point where something unwanted is happening and they do not know what exactly is going to happen. Right at the beginning of the book we start off with a story behind a story. When the story begins, you would think that it was just about two people. A man and a girl waiting for a train having drinks and conversation, however, there is a deeper meaning to this conversation than there is said. “Yes” said the girl “everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe” “oh, cut it out "
Initially reading you think well the girl is just simply deciding between watered down alcohol or to not water it down. However it is not what is said on the page it is what is
Professor Szpila
English 110
12 July 2012
Analysis of Hills like White elephants
In Hills like White elephants by Ernest Hemingway it’s not about what is on the page it’s about what not actually on the page. What I mean by this is in this short story in order to fully comprehend what is truly going on you must read between the lines. The crazy thing about reading between the lines is the whole story is in dialogue, and the short story is about what it not said. The whole story is between two characters having a conversation, within the conversation they use subliminal key words like “operation” and “Hills” to show you there is a deeper meaning to their conversation. Reading between the dialogue starts at the very beginning before the text even begins, reading between the lines starts with the title. Hills like white elephants, what does that mean? You can look at hill as though you never know what it on the other side of the hill; you never know exactly what is going to happen. The two characters are at a point in their lives where they do not know what is going to happen. White elephants are seen as unwanted, a burden, expensive. Well if you were to look at them from this point of view the two characters are at a point where something unwanted is happening and they do not know what exactly is going to happen. Right at the beginning of the book we start off with a story behind a story. When the story begins, you would think that it was just about two people. A man and a girl waiting for a train having drinks and conversation, however, there is a deeper meaning to this conversation than there is said. “Yes” said the girl “everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe” “oh, cut it out "
Initially reading you think well the girl is just simply deciding between watered down alcohol or to not water it down. However it is not what is said on the page it is what is
Cited: Hemingway, Ernest “Hills like white Elephants.” In The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. 10th Shorter ed. New York: Norton, 2010 106-9. Print.