Throughout his work “Hills Like White Elephants‚” Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism and condensed metaphors to sensationalize the power‚ yet subtleness of the main theme: happiness. While the title does not blatantly represent the characters pursuit of happiness‚ the simile used in the title does epitomize Hemingway’s writing style as well as the diverse use of symbolism throughout the narrative. Hemingway uses this symbolism to convey the unspoken thoughts and emotions of the characters and the ultimate
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Ernest Hemingway – Hills Like White Elephants According to the Oxford English Dictionary‚ a white elephant has a more figurative meaning: "A burdensome or costly possession. Also‚ an object‚ scheme‚ etc.‚ considered to be without use or value." It’s easy to see how this could be seen in context of an unplanned pregnancy that at least one of the parents wants to terminate. At first when I read through Hemingway’s short story‚ ‘Hills Like White Elephants’‚ I thought that it was merely a conversation
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Analysis of “Hills Like White Elephants” This essay will use new criticism to evaluate “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway in the areas of characters‚ symbolism‚ and conflict. I will mainly focus on two of the three characters. There will be many opportunities to comment on symbolism. Consideration will also be paid to the ongoing conflict between the American and the girl‚ sometimes referred to as Jig. The male protagonist is known only as the American in the story. He is
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"The Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about an American man and a girl named Jig. In the story the two are sitting in a rail station waiting for the train to Madrid. While they are waiting‚ they have an intense‚ ongoing discussion over whether or not Jig will get an abortion. At the end of the story‚ the train is about to arrive and the man carries the baggage to the tracks as they prepare to depart. The ending of the story leaves unclear the outcome of her decision
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‘Hills like White elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway revolves around a conversation between a girl and an American man. The story is written in simple sentences and when one reads the story one does not really notice the subtleties present. Hemingway’s iceberg theory is relevant to this story because though the story seems to be simply about a man and a woman having a causal conversation there are undertones of more serious and pressing issues. It is set at a train station in between Barcelona and Madrid
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title of Hills Like White Elephants is a seemingly odd title however‚ when you look farther into it‚ it has a deep meaning. In the story‚ white elephants are first mentioned in a conversation between the girl and the American. The girl says‚ “’ They look like white elephants’” (in text). The girl is referring to the hills in the distance. The American replies‚ “’I’ve never seen one’” (). It seems simple enough however‚ if you look at the definition found in the Oxford English Dictionary‚ a white elephant
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The story "Hills like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway is a fascinating story about one couple having faced with an unexpected pregnancy. The theme of the story is about the couple’s decision between life and death. The main character Jig and The American are in disagreements on weather to keep their baby‚ or have an abortion. The couple’s lack of communication creates the conflict in the story. For example‚ Jigs says‚ "We can have all this..." "And everyday we make it more impossible" While
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Symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants" What is symbolism and what is the use of it? Is it simply created to confuse the reader or is it dedicated to make the reader think about the meaning of the story? What is the symbol? Is it a person‚ object‚ or event? Those are the questions we should ask ourselves before we start reading a short story "Hills Like White Elephants‚" written by Ernest Hemingway. "Hills Like White Elephants" is a perfect example of a wide use of literary symbols demanding
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associations beyond itself. In “Hills like White Elephants” an important symbol is the elephant. One way it is used is the term “white elephant”. A white elephant is a gift that is unwanted by the owner and the maintenance required is higher than the usefulness. Also there is another expression that involvles elephants‚ “the elephant in the room”. These interpetations of the word plays a part of being a symbol in the story. One reason why the term “white elephant” is used as a symbol is for the
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Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find and Ernest Hemingway’s Hills like White Elephants‚ certain characters from each story have an immense effect on the relationships by expressing their egotistical values to their families or significant others. In both short stories‚ the problem is that the characters have a lack of mutual understanding with one another. This is because there is constant bickering
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