Hills Like White Elephants Setting Analysis

There are various aspects of the setting of the story “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway that contribute to the overall meaning of the work. One such example would be the railroad station in which the story takes place. Another piece of the setting includes the two parts of the valley across the tracks- a lush field full of life and a dry barren piece of land. A final detail would be the difference between the bright sun and the cool shade at the station.
The most prominent feature of the setting would be the train station. Typically, at train stations, people decide where they will go and what train they will take. Like an average person making decisions at a train station, the girl is also deciding if she should have an abortion or not. Her second choice considers her faith to the man who wants her to abort their child. She
Again, in the scene described in the last paragraph, when the girl stands up, she walks into the sunlight to look at the prolific section of the valley. The sunlight represents her hope of a happy future with her child. Furthermore, when the man calls her back he asks her specifically to come back into the shade. The shade which represents the concealment of their affair and the sorrow of losing her baby. This element of the sunlight versus the shade reveals more of the girl’s emotions to the reader.
The setting of “Hills like White Elephants” contributes immensely to the meaning of the story. The train station shows that the characters are in the middle of making a decision. There are two different sectors of the valley- one representing hope and the other, desolation. Additionally, the simple distinction between the shadow of the station and the light of the sun shows what could be and what will most likely happen. All of these pieces of the setting help the reader understand the story and its characters even