Hills Like White Elephants

“Hills Like White Elephants” is a story that portrayed many symbols.

White Elephants have always been gifts that are unwanted. Hemingway in

this selection uses these white elephants to describe abortion through one

couples eyes. He uses different items and views that happen around this

couple to symbolically describe abortion. People who have white elephant

parties, wrap gifts that they do not want in their house anymore and give

them away as a gift for someone else. Jig’s unborn child, in this story, is like

a white elephant. The child has not even had the chance to enter the world

and the child’s father does not want it to. “The warm wind blew the bead

curtain against the table.” This “wind” that Hemingway speaks about defines

what the meaning of abortion is. He also points out that, “It’s really not

anything. It’s just to let the air in.” He even goes on to say that, “they just

let the air in and then it’s perfectly natural.” Jig is not quick to defend

herself, but she finally speaks up. She keeps staring out through the

bamboo curtain. The wind through this curtain illustrates the sweet past

and the bitter present for Jig.

In this selection Hemingway talks about the different kind of drinks

available. The man says it is “a drink,” but to Jig it has a licorice taste. She

explains it as “all things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.” This is

explaining that these “drinks” are more than just drinks to her. Jig has

been conveyed the sweet promise of bearing a child and the bitter

termination of birthing. This is by the moving beaded curtain, the breeze,

and the drink.

“The two heavy bags” implies that the bags are for the mother and

child. It never says in the story that it is their bags, referring to the man

and woman. Still, the author is conveying what an abortion is by saying “the

air get lets in” through this curtain when the man walks back outside. Jig

says that she and her child are “fine” after this “awfully simple operation.”

When the man walks “out through the bead curtain,” this implies that he is

out of their lives.

The man and Jig argue throughout the selection. His way of playing of

the argument is “oh, cut it out,” but Jig replied, “you started it.” Jig brings

up many issues when she states, “nothing with me.” The man refers to the

unborn child as an “only thing” and Jig refers to the child as “everything.”

Jig’s “smile” shows that she understands that hills can be like white

elephants and lovers too. Hemingway implied that “nothing,” aborted from

Jig’s world, in this story, is the white elephant. Hemingway portrays that to

Jig the unborn child within her is as the “lovely hills.” These hills are not

wanted around but yet they are precious in Jig’s eyes.

Word Count: 492