Literary Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants Essay

Literary Analysis

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

The setting in a story can provide hints at the decisions characters make, which foresees what the future holds for them. In the story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, the setting is so influential in ways that could lead you to believe the woman had an abortion or did not have it. It is about a man and a woman named Jig who are sitting at a table waiting for the train to come. During their wait, they discuss the possibility of having an abortion, which the man says will make their lives happier together. The background setting throughout their discussion symbolizes their life changing decision. Throughout the story, the author presents distinct clues in the scenery and setting to illustrate that the girl ended up not partaking in abortion.

Jig and the man are in love, but the unexpected baby has put strain on their relationship because of the difficult decision on whether they should keep the baby or not. They continue to dispute with each other and reassure that everything will be all right and all they want for each other is to be happy. At this point, I began to wonder if they will really be happy with what they choose. It seemed as though the man did not want the responsibility of being a father and figured it would be best to just get rid of it all together. When he states, Well be fine afterward. Just like we were before, (Hemingway 613) it blatantly shows that he wants things the way they previously were and if he can convince her that it is best, he will get what he wants. All Jig wants is to be happy and her man to be happy. She asks, And if I do it youll be happy and things will be like they were and youll love me? (Hemingway 613) She would do anything, including abort her unborn child to keep the man she loves. So, they have to ponder on the possibility of an abortion and eventually decide on what is best for themselves and each other as a couple.

In the beginning of the story Jig immediately says, They look like white elephants. (Hemingway 612) That was one of the first clues in this story that symbolized something was wrong. Whenever there is a white elephant present, it usually means there is trouble. After Jig and the man discuss how their lives can be happy if it is taken care of, they take a moment. Jig begins to walks toward the station and look around. Hemingway starts to describe what Jig sees, Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of Ebro. (Hemingway 614) The side with the fields of grain suggested that the fields meant it was a wonderful place and very fertile, signifying that it was a place to raise a child and it can still be happy. He continues to say, Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees. (Hemingway 614) The author illustrates the dark cloud moving across the field, which symbolizes the evil and how it is passing over. The dark cloud passing helps to prove that if the baby is kept, then both of them will be happy knowing that life will be fine in the future. At this point is when I started to believe that the baby will be kept because she started to deeply wonder what would be best for her. She begins to argue with the man stating if they take care of their situation, they cant have everything and they cant have the whole world because the both of them will have to live with this guilt the rest of their lives.

Later the man starts to understand and begins to worry about Jig, when he tells her to come back in the shade he says, I dont want you to do anything you dont want to do - (Hemingway 614) He then starts to comfort her and tells her he will be happy with her decision and he does not want to be with anyone else but her. This makes her begin to relax and start to believe that keeping the baby wont be such a bad thing and even though their lives will changed, they can still be happy.

After conversing for some time, Jig argued that they stop talking and only think. The bartender interrupts to inform them the train will be there in five minutes. At this time, the man took the bags to the other side of the tracks and Jig smiled at him. The man sat down with her and finished their drinks. He asked her, Do you feel better? She replied I feel fine, theres nothing wrong with me. I feel fine. (Hemingway 615) This last scene is of the reader stating the fact that their lives will change, but its for the better. Jig saying she is fine and there is nothing wrong with her shows the baby is not a burden and that everything will be alright. Without having the clues and descriptive meanings throughout the setting, the reader would not have been able to figure out what their decision was.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Portable Legacies: Fiction, Poetry, Drama, Nonfiction . 4th Ed. Jan Zlotnik Schmidt, Lynne Crockett. Wadsworth Cengage Learning: Boston, 2009.