Hills Like White Elephants Literary Analysis

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Miller Hemingway is one of his famous short stories. He introduced many autobiographical elements into the story, specifically his lifelong effort trying to build meaningful relationships. The whole theme of the story is an ongoing conversation between two couples, both making the decision of their life. Hemingway reflects his struggle with depression and alcoholism in his story of these two couple, and also how nature plays a role in peoples lives and may contribute to important decisions in their lives.

The story starts with the description of the hills across the valley and the surrounding nature, and continued with an endless conversation between an American man and a woman. Throughout the story, Hemingway portrayal the man according to his rigid conception of masculinity, being experienced, knowledgeable and always in control of himself when facing difficult situations. At the beginning he intentionally avoids discussion of their problem, but when the men starts to pressure him, he tackle them by simplifying the operation pushing her to have it. Thinking himself to be the more reasonable of the two, he supports the girl by failing to provide the sympathy and understanding she needs during the crisis. Uncompromising, he seems to identify more with the other passengers “waiting reasonably” at the station than with his own girlfriend at the end of the story, which suggests that the two will go their separate ways. While, on the other hand, the woman is being pictured, in Hemingway’s story, as less assertive and persuasive, compared to the American who has overly masculine character. Throughout the story, the girl appears confused, helpless, and indecisive, even though she was very defens...

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...se this particular passage because the writer was intent to keep the reader guessing about what the subject matter was, making the story more suspense. Though the story have an indeterminate ending could be to some readers unfavorable, but to others this would give them the opportunity for them to build the ending they want according to their desire. The story has a unique combination of new unborn child, alcohol, and unsolved problem between two couple, all of these aspects in one way or another all go back to the nature, the nature of humankind in terms of disagreements and habits, and the nature of creating new child. From that we can also see how Hemingway’s style of writing is different from other writers, by having mostly the whole story a dialogue between two couples only, and having the main issue of the story unrevealed, hidden in the on going conversation.