Literary Elements in Hills Like White Elephants, a Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

Last Updated: 15 Mar 2023
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We have all at one point in our life been through a stressful situation where a decision can be simple or complex, Sometimes we even make our decision just to make another person happy disregarding our own feelings completely. Just like in the short story l'Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. Even though Jig tries to consider going forward with the pregnancy, the American man makes it clear that this was one thing that was going to stand in the way. The author displays the theme gender roles and choices thought the literary devices of symbolism, imagery, and character. The first literary device that I want to discuss is imagery. In the story the bar is surrounded by fields on one side "The country was brown and dry" while on the other side ”Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro".

This is a representation of the choice that Jig has to make between going on with her pregnancy or terminating it The first description of the fields the atmosphere is unhopeful and dry representing the couple's relationship. On the other hand, the other side is full of life. The Ebro river can be a representation of life and the fields of grin can be thought of fertility At one point of the story Jig lets her mind wander to what it would actually be like to have the baby."'And we could have all this,’ she said. 'And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible' "What did you say?" Jig is faced with a difficult decision she believes that having the baby will not come in the way between them, but the American man does not want to hear it giving her the cold shoulder.

Furthermore, it seems like the American man is ok if Jig does not go through the operation through the literary device of character we can see how he will say anything to try to convince her."'lt's really an awfully simple operation, Jig,‘ the man said, 'It's not really an operation at all I know you wouldn't mind it, Jig. It's really not anything, It's just to let the air in'”. The author shows how he seen men back in the 1800s as the dominant figure leaving the women to have no voice and fully dependent on them A great example is shown with the couple's dialog: ”"No, it isn't And once they take it away, you never get it back.‘ 'But they haven't taken it away.‘ 'We'll wait and see. The last line demonstrates him as the dominant figure tying back to one of the themes that Hemingway shows through the short story, gender role. The last literary derive used in the story is symbolism.

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The two main ones that are shown in the story is the hills and the white elephant "' They look like white elephants, she said "'I've never seen one,‘ the man drank his beer. She compares them as if she is seeing her own pregnancy before heri The hills to her represent the way her body would look if she would keep the baby On the other hand she knows that to the American man the child is something that is going to stand in the way between their relationship. ""That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy. The white elephant symbolizes something that is worthless to one person but it is priceless to another. Just like it is shown in the story, the baby for Jig is priceless

As for the American man he wants nothing to do with it and could care less about having the baby. In conclusion, the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" shows how truly women would do anything to keep their partner happy. The hills represent the body of pregnant women. The white elephant being something that no one wants but something that others might find valuable, Jig really tries to imagine her life with this new baby, but no matter how she tries to tell the American man he wants no part in it. Men are illustrated as the dominant figure in this story, leaving women with no independence for themself. Through the literary devices of imagery, symbolism, and character the theme of gender role and choices unfolds before our eyes.

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Literary Elements in Hills Like White Elephants, a Short Story by Ernest Hemingway. (2023, Mar 15). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/literary-elements-in-hills-like-white-elephants-a-short-story-by-ernest-hemingway/

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