Hills Like White Elephants PDF

Preview

Summary

Close reading of Earnest Hemingway's story...

Description

Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway’s prose fictional short story Hills Like White Elephants uses the literary element of symbolism. Authors use symbolism to hide meaning and give readers an opportunity to dissect and analyze the purpose and significance of a story. A symbol can often take the form of a person, object, and/or event. It can be explicitly suggested taking the appearance of a literal item, but most times the device is used indirectly and takes an object to give it more detailed substance. The result of symbolism is often a product that creates an impact on a reader. Because the word “abortion” is not directly mentioned, one must analyze the symbolism to determine the theme and topic of the story: abortion. In the short story, Hemingway uses many symbols to create an intense message to the text to convey the overall notion of Jigs ambivalence towards abortion and the American Man’s conflict of not wanting a child. Sometimes, the best place to start with an analysis of a story is with the title. A title can

create “anticipation and expectation or, perhaps, disinterest” (Ask The Writer). The title Hills Like White Elephants offers anticipation and curiosity. It is also the first indication of symbolism. The history of the white elephant dates back to the 19th century, when the kings of Siam, modern-day Thailand, considered white elephants to be “useless” and “sacred” (Why do we say 'white elephant'?). The elephants “weren’t allowed to be worked and required special, expensive food and housing – making them particularly pricey pachyderms” (Why do we say 'white elephant'?). Because these elephants were more of a burden, the kings would “give white elephants away to anyone who displeased them or had fallen out of favour so that they would be forced to spend a fortune keeping the precious animals. The unfortunate recipient of a white

elephant would be unable to get rid of it so the upkeep could ruin them financially” (Why do we say 'white elephant'?). In short, a white elephant is an unwanted gift, hence the title symbolizes the hills (Jig’s baby) as an unwanted pregnancy. Being pregnant is often viewed as a gift because a female is carrying the life of another person. In the short story, the word “hills” is written five times. Each time, the word “hills” is used to describe the scenery. Although the hills may outwardly appear to represent the setting and scene, the hills have a deeper meaning to them. One may infer the hills symbolize the stomach of a pregnant woman. This can be gathered by Jig’s reference and Hemingway’s use of personification. The hills are illustrated as having skin, a human characteristic that is given to the hills, a nonhuman structure. The hill of skin is comparable to a female’s pregnant stomach. A hill can often be characterized as “A "bump" in the landscape, rising gradually from its surroundings” (Rosenberg). The landscape is Jig and the bump which is “rising gradually” is the baby growing. Hills are often very small, allowing one to safely infer that the baby that Jig is carrying is big enough to show a bump but small enough in the pregnancy process that Jig can consider abortion. According to planned parenthood, “It can be harder to find a nurse or doctor who will give you an abortion after your 12th week of pregnancy” (Parenthood). The hills in the short story are said to be across from Jig and are “lovely:” “The girl looked across at the hills.‘They’re lovely hills,’ she said. ‘They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin through the trees.’” (Heminway, 2). By looking across to the hills, the reading suggests that Jig is looking across to her future. She is contemplating the ‘what-ifs,’ in particular the idea of ‘what-if I keep this baby and I don't abort it?’ If she keeps the baby, the hill (the baby or the bump) would be “lovely.” Jig views the hills as having a beautiful quality to them, and could equally view her pregnancy in the same manner.

The number two is used throughout the novel in many ways. The number two can be externally seen as just a number, but in the short story, the number two symbolizes and emphasizes Jig and the American man’s unpreparedness for having a child making the number change from two to three. The repetition of the number two is written nine times throughout the story. It is first introduced in the second sentence when the scene is set, “On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun” (Hemingway, 1). The number two written at the onset of the story offers to foreshadow the conflict the characters will face when deciding whether they want to stay as a couple (2) or have an addition (3). The number two is also used when describing: the train that “stopped at this junction for two minutes and went to Madrid,” the beer that was served in “two glasses” with “two felt pads,” “two of the strings of beads” that Jig holds, and the "two heavy bags" (Hemingway, 1-2). The emphasis on the word ‘two’ symbolically refers to Jig’s conflict of whether to have an abortion or not. The ‘two ‘can ironically be viewed as Jig’s desire to have the child. The American man is not prepared to have a child and tries to convince Jig that she is not ready as well. By repeating the number two, the symbolism could also be used to show that Jig is ready to have a child and is thinking of keeping the baby. Jig is a pregnant woman so itis interesting to not the importance of alcohol and how that plays a role in symbolism and meaning. As a pregnant woman, Jig drinks a lot of alcohol. The setting for most of the story takes place at the bar and she continues to order drinks as the story evolves. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), “There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer” (Alcohol Use in Pregnancy). In the story, Jig orders numerous amounts of beer and

tries Anis del Toro. Jig’s ordering of drinks can be seen in the opening scene when Jig asks “‘What should we drink?’” (Hemingway, 1). By wanting to drink, one may infer that Jig wants to have an abortion. If she doesn’t want to have an abortion then excessive drinking would be what would harm and possibly kill the child. The Anis del Toro has more than one symbol. Anis del Toro is a Spanish drink that is made with a “type of anisette, a type liqueur, popular in Spanish-speaking countries. It has a high alcohol content and has a strong flavor. It is commonly mixed in with other drinks or just with water to dilute the concentration its of alcohol” (Anis del Toro - Daniel Inouye Allusions). By drinking beer and Anis del Toro one may infer that the alcohol itself symbolizes the link between the two characters. Alcohol is one of the only things the characters seem to have in common: ‘It tastes like liquorice,’ the girl said and put the glass down. ‘That’s the way with everything.’ ‘Yes,’ said the girl. ‘Everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.’ (Hemingway, 1)

This dialogue between the two characters is important because Jig notices that everything in the couple’s relationship is linked by absinthe. The history of Absinthe is important to note as it allows for a deeper analysis of the symbolism of alcohol. Absinthe is a French name that “derives from the Greek absinthion, which the Greeks used not as an intoxicant but as a medicine” (Hicks). Alcohol was said to aid in childbirth (Hicks). With this knowledge, one may argue Jig was not trying to have the abortion and instead was drinking the Anis del Torr to have a successful delivery of the child. Absinthe has a flavor that is comparable to “anise—similar to licorice—but well-made absinthes have an herbal complexity that makes them taste like more than just licorice candy. It generally has a very mild bitterness” (The Dangers of Drinking Absinthe). The absinthe having a bitter taste can symbolize the bitterness that is portrayed

between the two characters. Both characters show a sense of bitterness towards each other because of the individual decisions they are making about abortion. Their situation is tense and full of anger and bitterness. While the alcohol seems to be the one thing keeping them together, the alcohol is tearing them apart because it is affecting how each character views the other’s thoughts and words. Jig is unsure whether she wants to keep the baby or have an abortion and the American man gets frustrated with Jig’s indecisiveness. He does not want Jig to have the child and tried to convince her that having an abortion is the best decision for her to make. One may also infer that the absinthe, which tastes like licorice, can symbolize the color black. Licorice is black and it can suggest a symbolic contrast between the white hills or the baby. Jig is carrying a “white elephant” symbolizing a gift of new life, but the blackness symbolizes death. The death is the abortion which both Jig and the American man disagree about. The contrast between white and black represent the sorrow of the process of abortion and the happiness of a new life. Hills Like White Elephants shares a story full of conflict and emotion. Hemingway uses symbolism to created depth and allows readers to create a meaning of the story in their own way. By using nature, alcohol, and numbers to symbolize strife, abortion, and the gift of life through pregnancy, Hemingway conveys the notion of decisions and the difficulties that one may face when stuck between a life-changing decision. By using symbolism, the concept of choosing between life or abortion shifts from a broad topic to having more specific aspects. The specificity of the symbols creates relatable symbolic meaning for the readers and offers sympathy and understanding. Works Cited “Alcohol Use in Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-use.html.

“Anis Del Toro - Daniel Inouye Allusions.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/danielinouyeallusions/popular-culture/anis-del-toro. “The Dangers of Drinking Absinthe.” Vertava Health, 30 Apr. 2020, vertavahealth.com/alcohol/absinthe-dangers/#:~:text=According%20to%20The%20Wormwood %20Society,has%20a%20very%20mild%20bitterness.%E2%80%9D. Parenthood, Planned. “How Far along Can You Be to Get an Abortion?” Planned Parenthood, www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/teens/ask-experts/how-far-along-can-you-be-to-get-an-abortio n. Rosenberg, Matt. “What's the Difference Between a Hill and a Mountain?” ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-hill-and-mountain-4071583. “Ask The Writer.” Answers to Writing Questions - General - Gotham Writers Workshop, www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/ask-writer/how-important-is-the-title-of-a-story#:~:text=A%20 title%20is%20a%20story's%20first%20impression.&text=A%20title%20creates%20anticipation %20and,not%20someone%20reads%20a%20story. “Why Do We Say 'White Elephant'?” HistoryExtra, 26 Nov. 2020, www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/why-do-we-say-white-elephant/. Hicks, Jesse. “The Devil in a Little Green Bottle: A History of Absinthe.” Science History Institute, 26 Apr. 2019, www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/the-devil-in-a-little-green-bottle-a-history-of-absinthe....