Hills Like White Elephants Literary Analysis

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, a simple narrative, written in third person omniscient follows a conversation between an American and his girlfriend named Jig. The setting is presented early on in the short story, and it’s done so vividly. Imagery plays an integral role in the short story as it is the device that reveals a lot about the theme and the symbolism. Little is known about the characters of the story, except for the fact that the man is an American who speaks Spanish and the girl’s name is Jig. Unlike the American man, the girl—Jig—does not speak Spanish. Considering that the story gives readers little details about the characters, any detail presented, trivial or significant, serves as clues to the characters. As our story takes place in Spain, outside of a building near a conjunction, a lot can be inferred about the plot through the character’s discourse.
It is through the dialogue are readers allowed a glimpse into the characters’ personality. Physical appearance is not written, but the characters’ vernacular is shown. The American and Jig are discussing an unknown operation. At some point, Jig randomly laments that the hills look like white elephants, and the man comments that he’s never seen one. A small banter occurs before Jig states that she wants to try a drink. The American and Jig share the drink (Anis del toro). After taking a sip of it, Jig notes that it takes like licorice, prompting the man to supply that it is the case with everything. Everything tastes like licorice, a subtle look into the man’s