There are many stories and works of literature that appear to be simple and casual on the surface, but when a reader delves deeper into the work it is revealed to be very complex and meaningful. Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” is a notable example. The story revolves around two characters, an American man and a girl named Jig, who are dealing with an ambiguous conflict that they have to resolve. Through Hemingway’s heavy dialogue in this story of the Lost Generation era, readers learn that the male character is trying to persuade the female character to get an abortion. Hemingway does a substantial job in building up the conflict and revealing the problem through the character's dialogue, and he still leaves the ending of the story open to question. This story is important to American literature because of its form and content, along with the issues it brings up of abortion and male versus female discourse. “Hills Like White Elephants” should be included in any survey of literature because of the writing style and the messages within it that are still relevant in today’s society.
One significant device Hemingway adds to the story is the symbolism. Readers can especially see symbolism through the location. From the beginning it is established that the characters are traveling by railroad through Spain and they have stopped at a bar for drinks. This is a perfect setting to tie into that “Lost Generation” style of story. The location of Madrid, the fact that they are traveling by train, and the “white hills” that Jig notices are all symbolic to a deeper meaning of the story. Stanley Renner argued that the train station symbolized the choice Jig and the man had to make. “The station is situated between two sets of rails, whose significance lies “in their figurative implications” and between two contrasting landscapes that symbolize the couple’s options (Renner 34). The location of Madrid was also argued to be significant by Timothy O’Brien. The fact that they are in Madrid is ironic because the Spanish word for mother is madre, and O’Brien says it would be “the site of artificial intervention advocated by the male” (O’Brien 23). The location is just one example of how symbolism is a substantial part of the story. Symbolism is also revealed through the abortion itself. David Wyche writes that, “It is the figurative womb into which air is let, and by the end of the story it is as arid and empty as the Spanish countryside” (Wyche 58). Hemingway uses metaphoric symbolism such as this to add even more depth and meaning to the story. Another significant part of the story is the dialogue. The dialogue is essentially what builds the entire story, and it helps readers understand the complexity of both the characters and the meaning behind the story itself. By being able to understand the dialogue, readers are able to unravel and better understand the conflict at hand. One important instance of dialogue in the story occurs when Jig notices the white hills along the valley. She remarks that the hills look like “white elephants,” to which the man responds “I’ve never seen one.” Jig comes back at him by saying, “No, you wouldn’t have” (Hemingway). David Wyche argued that this conversation between them “establishes the characters’ opening positions in what is, essentially, an emotionally charged negotiation” (Wyche 59). Jig and the man’s dialogue leads into a prevalent and deep theme of the story, which is male versus female discourse and desires.
Through the American man and Jig, readers see that there is much conflict between the two. There is also a visible power struggle between the characters. The man’s language overpowers Jig’s language throughout the entire story. This is shown through the persuasive and persistent way he talks to Jig. In turn, Jig usually responds with statements such as “I’m fine” or “Okay” in order to satisfy the man and save an argument. Jig is also ultimately the one who has to make the crucial decision, and it could be argued that Jig doesn’t really know how to respond to the man due to the complexity of their situation. It is a crossroad in their relationship which she is forced to be the determiner of. “If Jig gives in to her lover’s wishes, their lives cannot, as she well knows, be the same as before. The aborted fetus will continue to come between them…” (Wyche 57). As Wyche is arguing in the previous quote, Jig is struggling with this choice over the man’s desires versus her own desires. This is a struggle for Jig because no matter what her decision is, it will throw their lifestyle together completely off track. There are also instances where Jig is put down by the man for being imaginative. When she says that the hills look like white elephants, he comes back with a response saying that he had never seen any. Nilofer Hashimi argues that he could treat her this way because he’s lost interest in her due to the pregnancy. “Jig used to be the American’s good-time girl, which was all he wanted of her. Because of the pregnancy, and Jig’s attitude towards it, the man now finds her boring and demanding, in short, a nuisance-one is tempted to say, a white elephant” (Hashimi). Through their issues and the way they seem to “resolve” conflict through their discourse, it is arguably true that the relationship between them will not last. It is also a prime example of how male desires, especially in this time period, are often seen to be put above female desires. Hemingway adds this important ideal to his story to advocate for Jig’s character, and to display the struggles women face just from male discourse alone.
“Hills Like White Elephants’ is still relevant in today’s society for a number of reasons. One reason being the writing style of the story alone. Hemingway wrote this story in a very creative way in that the readers are somewhat forced to try and figure out the conflict between the characters. The story is also a quality example of the persuasion that the moral changes of the Lost Generation had on literature. Changes in the family unit, abortion, and traveling Americans were all topics introduced by the Lost Generation which Hemingway was a large component of. Abortion is still a huge argument in the United States, and Hemingway uses it as a key topic of his story. It’s hard to say if views on abortion have had a substantial change since “Hills Like White Elephants” was published. Pro-life versus pro-choice is argued every single day in society. Like Jig, many women today are persuaded by men to either have or not have an abortion. Many women feel as if they don't have a choice or a right to make decisions about their own bodies due to the persuasion and arguments of men. It is,however, still unknown what Jig’s ultimate decision was. Stanley Renner made a statement concerning how people view Jig’s choice for or against abortion. “A majority of commentators, by my count, assume that the girl will have the abortion in order to please and thus keep her lover. But a considerable minority find these arguments unconvincing and conclude that the story still leaves the question open” (Renner 29). So while we dont know Jig’s ultimate decision, there is no doubt there are women today who are stuck in her same or a very similar position. The story could also arguably be tied to the modern day “Me Too” movement, because it focuses on the undermining of the female voice. Jig was made to feel as if she was the lesser person in the story and her voice wasn’t as important. There are many women who are treated the exact same way in our society today. Timothy O’Brien stated that “the story functions not only as a powerful critique of man’s sexual politics, but also as a complex portrayal of woman’s, not just Jig’s final compliance” (O’Brien 24). Female compliance versus male sexual politics is no doubt an issue still prevalent in society today.
Hemingway’s content and writing style of the story, along with the strong themes he presents, helps to make “Hills Like White Elephants” such an important and complex work of literature. The story is full of hidden symbolism, conflicting male versus female discourse, and important messages that are accessible and need to be understood by readers today. “Hills Like White Elephants” is an appreciable story for the Lost Generation era, and it is shown to still be relevant in our society today. Because of this, any survey course of literature should include this story in its’ teaching.