Hills Like White Elephants

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The Theme and Narrative Elements of “Hills like White Elephants”.
Ashley Terreforte
Introduction to Literature
Instructor: Danielle Slaughter
April 1st, 2013

HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS 2

For this paper I have chosen to discuss the theme and narrative elements of the short story “Hills like White Elephants”. In the short story “The Hills like White Elephants”, just at first glance of the title it makes me think the story is going to be about something beautiful and something of admiration; because when I think of white elephants I think of something extremely beautiful and rare. When I actually read the story it turned out to be the complete opposite. So my goal for this paper is to explain what the theme of the story “Hills like White Elephants” is and also to explain how the point of view, setting and symbolism in the story contribute to the stories theme. Before even reading the story “Hills Like White Elephants”, I thought the story was going to be about someone or something that is beautiful because when I think of white elephants the first thing that pops into my mind is something that is extremely beautiful and possibly even rare. Once I started reading the story I quickly realized that the story was not going to be about something that was beautiful or rare; but it was going to be about something very serious. “Theme in fiction is associated with something abstract, something broad: The theme in a story is associated with an idea that lies behind the story. Every story narrows a broad underlying idea, shapes it in a unique way, and makes the underlying idea concrete.”(Clugston, 2010). After reading the story “Hills like White Elephants”, I realized why they irony of the title and why they gave that title to the short story. The theme that I got from reading the story was that of choices. I say that the story 's theme is about choices because Jig and the American are at a point in their relationship where some very important choices need to be made by both Jig and the American in order for the both of them to know what road their relationship is about to take. At the beginning of the story Jig start off their conversation very casual “What should we
HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS 3 Drink?”(Hemingway, 1927, 2). “Let 's drink beer.” (Hemingway, 1927, 4). Right here in these quotes I think Jig is just trying to get a little relaxed before she really begins with what she really want to talk to the American about. Then the conversation turns more serious when Jig tells the American that she is1 pregnant and that is where she begins to see how the American really feels and wants from their relationship. “I think it 's that best thing to do. But I don 't want you to do it if you really don 't want to.”(Hemingway, 1927, 57). Right there the American is letting Jig know that he does not want to have the baby; but is still giving her the choice to make for herself. This story is written from a third-person objective point of view and that helps add to the dramatics of the theme because we are getting and equal view of both the character feelings. Looking at where the setting of the story takes place to me helps even had to the theme of choices because the story is taking place at a train station where both the American and Jig are waiting for the train. Being at a train station waiting to catch a train is kind of ironic because Jig and the American are talking about an unplanned pregnancy and what they want to do. Jig being the one who is ready to have a child and become more serious in their relationship with the American. The American being the one who is trying to convince Jig that getting an abortion is the best option for them and their relationship. “It 's really an awfully simple operation, Jig, ' the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.”(Hemingway, 1927, 41). Jig and the American being at train station while having this conversation helps show that one way or the other both Jig and the American have a big choice to make and that is to get on the train together and move forward in life or possibly part their ways and deal with the matter at hand which dealing with Jig 's unplanned pregnancy. Symbolism that was used in this story actually is what makes the story so much more
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Interesting. “The hills across the valley of Ebro were long and white. ' '(Hemingway, 1927, 1). Right there Jig is pointing out the unusual landmark which are the white hills; but also insinuating what is to come the hills being either the ups and down of their relationship or the ups and downs Jig will experience if her and the American cannot agree with what they want to do. “They look like white elephants.”(Hemingway, 1927, 9). Right here she is saying that in the distance the mountains look like white elephants, which normally you would think would be something beautiful but in this case it’s the unplanned pregnancy that she is trying to decide with the American what they are going to do stay together or Jig deal with it by herself and where they stand as a couple. Slowly throughout the story Jig begins to realize that the American really doesn 't want to have the baby and keep insinuating that to get an abortion is quite simple but what the American is not realizing is that Jig is ready to be a parent and have children; so that leaves Jig and the American stuck without no progress made on what to do about their unplanned pregnancy. The point of view, setting, and symbolism of this story all contributed to the theme of the story by showing how the characters each feel about the situation that is at hand, which is the unplanned pregnancy; the setting being at a train station where they are waiting for a train to catch to Madrid and also while trying to come to an agreement on what to do about the pregnancy and their relationship. The symbolism used in the story helps add to the sarcasm to the theme because it helps us see how Jig is looking at the situation and how the American is looking at the situation and neither of them want to agree with how the other sees the situation.

HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS 5 References

Clugston, R.W. (2010). Journey Into Literature. San Diego, California; Bridgepoint Education Inc. Retrieved by http://content.ashford.edu/books . Hemingway, E. (1927). Hills like White Elephants. Retrieved from http://content.ashford.edu/books

References: Clugston, R.W. (2010). Journey Into Literature. San Diego, California; Bridgepoint Education Inc. Retrieved by http://content.ashford.edu/books . Hemingway, E. (1927). Hills like White Elephants. Retrieved from http://content.ashford.edu/books