The True Meaning of “Hills Like White Elephants”

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“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism to illustrate the topic of conversation between a couple, although they never mention it directly. Symbolism is shown as the couple is at a bar in the train station and the girl notices the hills like white elephants. There are many aspects such as drinking beer, the hills like white elephants, and repeating the number two that play a role in fully understanding the story. All of these elements combine together to play a role in the author’s purpose, as well as the plot of the story. A symbol is an image with a significant meaning which needs to be decoded to fully understand its meaning. Also, there are many symbols in the story that can be interpreted at as having a larger meaning in the story. One example of a symbol is the “Hills Like White Elephants.” In today’s society, many people use the term “there is a white elephant in the room” as a topic of communication, something that is unwanted, or something they do not want to talk discuss. In this selection, the “Hills Like White Elephants” do not actually represent the hills; instead readers can infer that it means the operation that the couple is trying to avoid discussing. When the girl initially makes a comment about the hills, she is saying it in order to be able to begin a conversation regarding the operation. She feels the operation is something they have not discussed, but need to discuss deeply. In this story, a reader can infer that the operation is the white elephant in the room. There are several elements of symbolism in the story; however, “The deeper levels of this story are disclosed by examining not only what is implied through the irony but also what is indicated by symbolism and repetition” (Holla... ... middle of paper ... ...ype of literature. When analyzing these elements, the readers can determine the reason behind the author writing the story. In “Hills Like White Elephants”, readers can analyze the story and identify the elements of symbolism. Also, the reader can determine what the symbols in the story mean or if they have different meanings. In the story, Hemingway used the hills like white elephants, the repetition of the number two, and the concept of the couple drinking to better explain to the readers his purpose for writing the story, or to help explain the plot. Works Cited Holladay, Hall. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition (2004): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants." Literature and the Writing Process. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996. 240-43. Print.

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