An overview on ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Hemmingway Essay

Hills Like White Elephants
Abortion has been a controversial topic ever since it could be done. Hills Like White Elephants tells the story of a man and woman having a discussion about abortion. However, the word abortion is never used in the story specifically. Even though the story is short, the meaning says a lot. The author, Ernest Hemingway, uses imagery and symbolism to discuss abortion.
Hemmingway cleverly sets the tone of the story with the setting. The setting has a tense atmosphere that will continue through the rest of the story. Hemmingway uses imagery to show the first setting of the story, "The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun."(Hemmingway 1) The two rail lines symbolize the two choices, to abort or keep the child. The surroundings of the couple contribute to the theme of the story. Another symbol in the first part of the story is the bead curtain. The author continues to mention it throughout the story. The bead curtain represents separation and boundaries in the couple's relationship.
The girl sees the hills and says they "look like white elephants". A white elephant is something unwanted and a struggle to get rid of (dictionary.com). The color white could also symbolize the innocence of the unborn child. "The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the bank of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees". (Hemmingway 3) The shadow of a cloud could be foreshadowing that something tragic is going to happen. The fields of grains and trees represent her fertility.
Hemingway also addresses the fact that women are often pressured into abortion. The man is trying to persuade Jig to get an abortion but Jig does not seem to want to have an abortion. "It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig." the man said. "It's not really an operation at all." They sat down at the table and the girl looked across the hills on the dry side of the valley and the man looked at her at the table." (Hemmingway 2) She only wants to do the abortion to stay with the man "And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?" (Hemmingway 3) After her conversation with the man, Jig looks at the dry side of the valley. The dry side symbolizes her barren womb after the abortion.
The story ends with the couple waiting for their train. There is neither a final resolution nor a decision stated about the abortion. Hemingway tells a detailed story using symbolism and imagery without being specific. The reader is left to make their own conclusion about what happens next.