Hills Like White Elephants: The Symbolism Of The Setting Essay, Research Paper

Hills Like White Elephants: The Symbolism of the Setting

In Ernest Hemingway’s story “Hills Like White Elephants” an American couple is

sitting at a table in a train station in Spain. They are discussing beer,

travel, and whether or not to have an abortion. The train station and its

surroundings are symbolic in this story. The station itself represents the

choice on whether or not to have the abortion. There is a set of tracks on

either side of the station, each representing one of the choices. On one side of

the station, the tracks run through a lush, green landscape full of grainfields

and trees. A wide river runs lazily in the foreground of some tall mountains.

It is almost like a paradise. This side of the station symbolizes the choice of

going through with the abortion. As it is now they travel all around the world,

drinking and staying in hotels, and seeing all the beautiful places in the world.

They have no responsibilities or schedules in their life. With an abortion,

they could continue their party- and fun-filled, although meaningless existence.

The other side of the station is dry and barren of plantlife. The ground looks

as if there has been no rain for quite some time. There are hills in the

distance that have a whitish color as the sun radiates on them. The woman said,

“They look like white elephants.”(343) White elephants are known to symbolize

unexpected gifts, which is certainly what the baby would be should they choose

not to have the abortion. The barrenness of the land refers the tame life–

settling down and having the responsibilities of parenthood–that they would

have to start living when the baby came; a life that would be duller but would

have a purpose. The bead curtain represents the fact that once they choose a

side, to have the baby or not, they cannot change their minds and then switch

sides. Once the decision has been made, it will affect their lives forever.

The man wants to have the abortion so they can continue to have the luxuries

they enjoy now. On the other hand, the woman is tired of the wilder life and

wants the baby and to settle down.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants” Literature and the Writing

Process. Eds. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 4th ed. Upper

Saddle River: Prentice, 1996. 343-46.