Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest...

What is the use of symbolism in writing? Is it merely to confuse the reader or is its true intent to make the reader think about the meaning of the story? A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more than its literal meaning (Meyer 220). In Ernest Hemingways short story Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway uses a plethora of symbols to convey the idea that the young girl, Jig is ambivalent to having an abortion and that her older American boyfriend does not want to have the baby. Although the word abortion is never used in the story, the reader understands the concept through Hemingways symbolism. In the beginning of the story, Jig and her boyfriend are waiting for a train in the valley of Ebro. They did not take a car†¦show more content†¦Jig knows that having the child will make her look like a whore in the eyes of her community, thus she knows that she has to get rid of the baby, but in her heart she wants to keep it. Moreover, the story contains the word two† throughout it, which reinforces that Jig and her boyfriend only are not ready to be a three unit family, that they are happy right now with two people. They had two glasses of beer and two felt pads, the train only stopped at this junction for two minutes (614), and they only had two heavy bags (617). They are not ready for a child and that is why there is an emphasis on the word two. Ironically, the word â€Å"two† could also mean that Jig feels that she is ready to have the baby. She could be seeing herself and the baby as two and thus she is thinking of keeping the baby. Jig might be having the abortion because she is drinking during her pregnancy. Jig does not even think twice about drinking, she is the one that even said, lets drink beer (614). Even though in this time period a pregnant woman drinking was acceptable, it was suggested that the woman drink very little alcohol. However, Jig does drink a lot of alcohol at the train station. She continues to drink through out the story and even tries Anis Del Toro, which is illegal alcohol drink in most countries due to the drink killing people when consumed in large quantities. She is alreadyShow MoreRelated Symbolism in Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway1687 Words   |  7 Pagesare incorporated into the story by the author. Ernest Hemingway frequently uses various literary elements in his writing to entice the reader and enhance each piece that he writes. In Hills Like White Elephants, Hemingway uses symbols to teach the reader certain things that one may encounter during daily life. Sy mbolism may be defined as relating to, using, or proceeding by means of symbols (Princeton). The use of symbols in Hills Like White Elephants is utterly important to the plot line and to theRead MoreThe Symbolism in â€Å"The Hills Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway548 Words   |  3 Pages â€Å"The Hills Like White Elephants† is a short story that is about an American man and a girl called Jig. They are sitting at a table outside a train station, waiting for a train to Madrid. While they wait they order drinks and have a heated ongoing conversation over whether or not Jig will have an operation that would be of great significance to their relationship. â€Å"The Hills Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway has two important symbols in the story, the hills and the drinks both of whichRead MoreSymbolism In Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway844 Words   |  4 Pages In Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elepha nts,† I noticed the characters drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is notoriously known for its ‘cure-all or drink until you forget why you started’ abilities. Therefore, I wanted to start with Hills Like White Elephants. When Hemingway first eases the readers into the story, he talks about a junction where a man and woman are waiting for their train. While at this junction, both parties are continuously throwing back beer afterRead MoreSymbolism In Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway992 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1927, Ernest Hemingway penned a short story titled, â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† The story takes place at a train station in Spain and depicts a troublesome dilemma for the two main characters. The story begins with the characters casually discussing what kind of beer to partake in; the tone quickly shifts when the man mentions a surgery to his female friend, Jig. The reader is left to infer that the two characters are disc ussing an abortion. Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism throughout the storyRead MoreCritical Analysis of the Short Story ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway.1497 Words   |  6 Pagesshort story ‘Hills like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway. Word Count: 1367 Hills like White Elephants – Ernest Hemingway â€Å"Will Jig have the abortion and stay with the man; will Jig have the abortion and leave the man; or will Jig not have the abortion and win the man over to her point of view?† (Hashmi, N, 2003). These are the three different scenarios that have been seriously considered in Ernest Hemingway’s short story, â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†. Ernest Hemingway is a great writerRead MoreHills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway1037 Words   |  5 PagesFebruary 10, 2016 â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† can be puzzling and hard to decipher. Due to this, a number of conclusions can be drawn away from the text. The dialog between characters leaves a number of questions unanswered and leaves the reader confused about the conversation as a whole. Many things are left unsaid and not explained in the story, with that being the case, the reader must take a look at the symbolism in the story. HemingwayRead MoreHills Like White Elephants1354 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"The Hills Like White Elephants† is a short story published in 1927 about an American man and a woman named Jig. The setting of this story takes place at a train station located in Spain surrounded by hills, trees, and fields. Other devices used by Hemingway throughout this story include imagery, simile, excellent syntax, and a very tense and emotional tone. In the beginning of the story, the American and Jig sit outside of the trainRead More`` Hills Like White Elephants `` By Ernest Hemingway1750 Words   |  7 PagesErnest Hemingway’s stories are known for their ever interpreting meanings behind them, and â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† does not trail from the rest due to the never mentioned word ‘abortion’. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† written by Ernest Hemingway, takes place around World War 1 in Spain, at a train station (Hills Like White Elephants. 4). An American man and a girl have been discussi ng the girl’s unspecific operation. It is apparent that the girl is perturbed about this operation, while theRead MoreErnest Hemingway s Hills Like White Elephants952 Words   |  4 PagesErnest Hemingway, a well-known American writer, was born in Cicero, Illinois, in 1899. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† was written in 1927, the short story is about a young couple, located at a train station somewhere in Spain, who throughout the story are having a verbal argument about an unnamed operation. The reader can quickly figure out that the operation the two main characters, the American and Jig, are discussing is an abortion. Ernest Hemingway’sRead MoreCompare/Contrast: A Good Man Is Hard to Find with Hills Like White Elephants917 Words   |  4 PagesCompare/Contrast: Good Man with Hills Currently, a plethora of outstanding stories have been written. What makes a story, though? The answer is the elements that the author includes into his or her writing, such as symbolism and imagery. Hills like White Elephants, written by Ernest Hemingway, and A Good Man is Hard to Find, written by Flannery OConnor, are just two examples of admirable work. Each writer incorporated plenty of elements to improve the story. 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