Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway | Themes

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains the themes in Ernest Hemingway's short story Hills Like White Elephants.
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In one of Ernest Hemingway's most famous short stories, an American man and his female companion wait for a train in northern Spain.
Initially engaged in light banter over drinks, the conversation eventually drifts to a "surgical procedure" the girlfriend is considering. The American man urges her to have the surgery, dismissing it as ultimately inconsequential.
Though they are circumspect and don't discuss the specifics, it becomes clear through innuendo and metaphor that she is pregnant and her boyfriend wishes for her to have an abortion.
The hilly vista spread out before them recalls the swell of a pregnant woman's belly and her comparison of them to white elephants suggests that the baby is unwanted-white elephants suggest a valuable but burdensome gift.
Their ultimate decision is unclear, vividly illustrating the moral complexities of their situation.
American writer Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants was first published in 1927. Known for his concise style, Hemingway was one of America’s great fiction writers. His work, like Hills Like White Elephants, often drew on his experiences in Spain and his understanding of humanity to address what it means to be a man and to act ethically.
The short story Hills Like White Elephants contains many important symbols, including white elephants, representing the rare and sacred but possibly unwanted pregnancy. It also uses light and darkness, representing the division between the characters’ worlds and the woman's choice. Railroad tracks symbolize the characters’ paths in life. Important themes include communication, love, and gender.
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