The myriad of short stories written by the American
novelist Ernest Hemingway have and continues to influence readers worldwide.
The winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize for literature is known for his use of the “iceberg
theory” in many of his pieces. This holds true with Hills Like White Elephants, one of Hemingway’s most famous American short
stories. The plot revolves around a couple disputing the possibilities of an
abortion of their newly conceived child as the girl compares the nearby hills
to white elephants. Targeted towards a very select audience, this story serves
to teach the significance of consensus in making group decisions.
Hemingway’s technique of realism in this short story does
not only depict authenticity of the couple’s bickering but also give a sense of
reality in the global issue of unwanted pregnancy. To relay his purpose,
Hemingway imbeds symbolism throughout the plot, furthering the emphasis of the
polemic issue of abortion. When the girl questions her worth that roots from her
decision to proceed with the operation, she asks her lover, ““But if I do it,
then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll
like it?” (Hemingway). The white elephants symbolize the burden of the unborn
child that may trouble the daily life they had prior to the pregnancy. The girl
desires to mend her broken relationship with her boyfriend, but her will to keep
her unborn child is a barrier that prevents her and her lover from healing
their bond. The guy is not as emotionally invested in the her and she is for
him, resulting in the constant clash of opinions regarding her choice on the
abortion. Her mentioning of the “white elephants” draws the attention back to
the idea of abortion and her divergent desires in contrast to her lover’s.
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