Hills Like White Elephants Literary Analysis

In the short story “Hills like White Elephants”, written by Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway depicts a couple with conflicting mindsets towards a major life event, regarding their unplanned pregnancy. The setting takes place at a train station in the mountainous countryside along the Ebro river in Spain. The American and the girl have a discussion over some alcoholic beverages in regards to her abortion procedure while waiting for the next train to Madrid. The girls partner referred to as “the American” is stressing the ease of this procedure and how life can be simple again for them once the girl goes through with the procedure. Failing to communicate effectively in a situation regarding an unplanned pregnancy will only manifest feelings of uncertainty and a sense of lack of power for an individual in the relationship.
The story’s main character who is unnamed and is referred to as “the girl” is portrayed as a dependant and timid character who plays a spectator in her own life opposed to having an active role in her own decision making.
The girl is faced with contemplating the different possible outcomes to an important life decision, she would rather much do what her partner wants to keep him happy and put her own feelings aside. “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 351). The girl clearly states that she does not care about herself and will go through with this procedure, if it means she still gets to be with her partner who believes “it’s really an awfully simple operation” (Hemingway 351). The girl is heavily influenced by her lover and willingly throws her own desires aside for him, even with a topic this sensitive and
significant. The main characters lack of self expression and values lead her into both an external and internal conflicts. The internal conflict aspect comes from the girls indecisiveness when contemplating whether or not going through with the procedure. The external conflict arises from both parties in the relationship when the couple is forced to speak on the procedure while waiting for the next train. The girl lacks value of self and fails to verbally express her desires to her partner allowing him to make a vital decision for the both of them. “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” (Hemingway 351). This quote emphasizes the girls uncertainty. She searches for reassurance in situations that she is in control of but cannot see that for herself. This ties to the central idea because the girl fails to express herself to her partner making her feel a sense of uncertainty with where their relationship will go after this is over. The author truly never tells us whether or not the couple went through with the procedure. With not knowing what ultimately ended up happening, it only highlights the author's theme of uncertainty that the main character carries throughout the story. The author floods the reader with multiple conflicts throughout the story, from the girls intrapersonal conflicts to her partner's external conflict of not wanting a child in his life. Ending the story with a cliffhanger represents the mystery the girl will face throughout life if she continues to neglect her self expression towards important life decisions. The author successfully illustrates the impact that can come from failing to express decisions effectively with your partner in his short story “Hills Like White Elephants”.