Hills Like White Elephant Literary Analysis

There are two considerably prominent literary elements in “Hills Like White Elephants”, conflict and symbolism. The latter (and more dominant) of the two is made clear right in the title, the White Elephants. The term “white elephant” is used to describe something troublesome, difficult or unwanted. Throughout the story, the two main characters are clearly having a disagreement over something that one of them would be alright with keeping, but the other would like to dispose of. In presenting their arguments, each of them reference the “white elephant” multiple times, but can’t seem to agree on whether or not the issue they disagree upon is, in fact, a “white elephant”. The first reference to the “white elephant” comes in paragraph 9, when the girl, staring at the hills, says “They

Taking this into consideration, it is also important to note that Hemingway always refers to the male as “man”, and the female as “girl”. This is just as important as the “white elephant” symbolizing something unwanted. The female is never referred to as a woman. Not once. This could easily lead one to believe that she is significantly younger than the man, and her being referred to as “girl” is representative of that, and she may be far more attached to him than he is to her, hence both of their positions on the matter. This potentially much older man does not want to be responsible for impregnating a much younger woman, and most certainly does not want to be tied to her for the rest of his life. Despite his attempt to make it sound like he is being considerate of her feelings, it is obvious that he wants her to have this abortion, and she makes it equally clear that she wants nothing to do with an abortion. In the last line of the story, the girl says “I feel fine, there’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.” She does not want the operation, and as far as she is concerned, there is no white