Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway

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Kenneth G. Johnston once wrote, "His stories came back in the mail, slipped through the slit in the saw-mill door where he lived, 'with notes of rejection that would never call them stories, but always anecdotes, sketches, contes, etc,'" (Johnston). This statement that may suggest that Hemingway's stories were not very well liked, but in the end they were a big hit. Literature is a very interesting topic and is a very helpful tool to the future. The best kind of literature are short stories. One very interesting short story is called “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway shows the themes in his writing by being very obvious about some of them and not so obvious about others. Some of the themes in “Hills Like White Elephants” include relationships, men and woman, and many others as well. Hemingway’s use of literary elements lets the readers analyze the many themes in the short story. Hemingway uses various literary elements in his short stories to help the readers analyze the themes deeply. The protagonist in the short story, "Hills Like White Elephants" is named "Jig" by her boyfriend, however, Hemingway refers to her as "the girl" through out the short story. Jig is portrayed as a young women stuggling with the decision of whether to get an abortion or not. "She is the man’s superior in imagination, sensitivity, and capacity for love" stated critic Kenneth G. Johnston (Hills Like White Elephants). Alcohol is Jig's on going motivation. Ironically enough, the story started with the characters drinking in a train station. As shown in her statement, "I wanted to try this new drink. That's all we do isn't it? Look at things and try new drinks"(Hemingway) which suggests that their life consi... ... middle of paper ... ...being without the person having any say, just like in war. The soldiers do not have a say in who dies and who lives they are just pawns on the board of the game life. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants." Transition. Litfinder for Schools. Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. Henningfeld, Diane Andrewss. "Hills Like White Elephants." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Tim Akers. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. 155-172. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. "Hills Like White Elephants." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Tim Akers. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. 155-172. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. Johnston, Kenneth G. "Hills Like White Elephants." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Tim Akers. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. 155-172. Short Stories for Students. Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2010.

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