Hills Like White Elephants Conflict Essay

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.”
-B. R. Ambedkar
All works of literature follow one or multiple characters in their choices as they progress through their individual story. Their choices change them, typically into better people. A character’s choices and actions also give rise to conflict in a story, which drives the plot forward to a climax and resolution. “Hills Like White Elephants” is no different. The choices made in the short story both drive the story and conflict forward and allow the reader to get a glimpse into the two characters’ identities. The central

‘Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything. (Hemingway 269)

The unborn child in the woman’s womb is considered the “white elephant” to the couple. Communication is a vital part of any relationship, especially a romantic one, and the couple clearly lacks the ability to communicate. Later in the narrative, after discussing the abortion, the couple’s communication becomes even more strained. As Brand, Gerhard, and May mention, the discussion “dooms the couple to sterility and emptiness, as they lost their chance to change directions.” (par. 21)
Hemingway also uses a distinctive style in his writing of his short story, but not unseen of. Hemingway utilized a simplistic writing style seen all throughout his works. Hemingway doesn’t use any unnecessary details and writes with an open ending. Hemingway allows the reader to draw their own conclusions based on the interactions in the story. Each reader can come to a different conclusion, and that allows for many interpretations of the work. Symbolism is the last major part of the novel. Symbolism plays a major role in all works of literature, as is the same in this short