Short Story Analysis: Hills like White ElephantsEssay Preview: Short Story Analysis: Hills like White ElephantsReport this essayShort Story Analysis: Hills Like White Elephants“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is narrated in a omniscient third-person point of view. Although the narrator is omniscient Hemingways minimalistic style of writing does not divulge many thoughts of the characters in the story and mainly focuses on actions and dialogue. There are a few instances in the story where the narrator gives evidence of omniscience through point of view. “The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.” (Hemingway 2). The narrator in this story barely gives any insight into what is happening. The information provided is barely enough to determine the setting and relationship between the characters. The characters frequently talk about an “operation”, yet the reader is never directly enlightened to what this operation is. This style of narration has a profound effect on the readers understanding of the story because it limits concrete information and leaves quite a lot up to interpretation.
There are only two main characters in this story. Jig, the woman, and the man known only as the American. The American is in a romantic relationship with Jig and has been traveling with her for an undisclosed amount of time. Throughout the story he professes his love for Jig, yet apathetically urges her to have an operation. The American is portrayed by Hemingway as a methodical and calculated character who seems indifferent towards his surroundings and is only focused on his primary intention. In the beginning of the story the character seems content but through the course of the narrative Jigs insistance pushes him to relentlessly hound her about getting an operation to the point where she urges him to stop talking multiple times. “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemingway 2). At first his character is neutral, but the more insistent he becomes, the more a negative light is downcast on him. He seems to want no part of Jig unless she has an operation, and towards the end of story he identifies more with the other train passengers than the girl he claims to love. “Coming back, he walked through the bar-room, where people waiting for the train were drinking. He drank an Anis at the bar and looked at the people. They were all waiting reasonably for the train.” (Hemingway 2).
The story is set at a train station in a barren valley between Barcelona and Madrid. Hemingway uses the train station to signify a crossroads in the relationship of Jig and the American. The setting symbolizes that the characters have yet to reach their final destination, that they have a choice of where to go and who to go with. The status of the relationship in the story is highlighted and perpetuated by the setting because it provides a correlation to the plot by expressing what is happening through context and surrounding. The narrator gives insight on the setting through Jig by noting the contrast between the valley and the hills. “The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry.” (Hemingway 1). This piece of information alludes to the choice Jig must make on whether or not to have the operation.
ᤶ.ᤶ.>᥄.”.”.>Our final action as we meet Hemingway.
.•He is standing with the girl behind him. We see they are the same. And that is how they are connected.•They are both on the same path. And they both know each other the exact same.
᥇.᥇.>᤿.”.”.>It’s one thing for one to have this conversation with a friend of a friend of a friend. It’s another to take the words and make a statement with them, even if it can’t be written with their consent. And it’s another for a human being to act this way.But what is their relationship this way? If they are the same person, how can one be good with other people? This is the question it is that Hemingway questions.How can one have a relationship with a friend to make their own judgement if a friend is already looking at us with such disgust and hatred. How can they trust that this person is a good person?And yet we are still not sure what Hemingway is talking about here or what he thought he was talking about. We’re not sure if these two are talking about someone we love, or just someone that we love because of their friendship.So what do we know. Our best guess would be that these two are talking through an inner voice that they say they feel like talking directly with a friend if his relationship is to continue. This voice does not just tell us they are like this in this life, it makes us feel good about our relationship with this person, so it’s not just that something is wrong. It’s not our friend’s or her relationship, it’s us’s. It’s us ourselves.That is what we are told. We are told he needs to accept this. We are told this is the end of everything. What good is that it will bring to them all? And what is this relationship with a friend that they are so angry about, or are so scared to say? We are told nothing is good from having an inside-out relationship like this. And then those two will have to reconcile this life.We are told he’ll stay at this place and we’ll continue at this place as long as he needs it. We are told this will bring his friends closer together, but this is something Hemingway may also be expressing on the trip. He is saying we need to get there before the journey gets to be so much more difficult.
ᲆ(Hemingway 1). The journey and the destination are connected through a story of hope. And that is why we are asking ourselves what is that hope that is giving?We are asking himself why he is trying so hard to make these connections. He is asking you to give us something he didn’t consider possible and to leave us the hope that what he was doing would bring us something he truly wanted. He needs we will never be like that…He is telling you what he needs you to give more time, we need we feel closer to him right now if he wants to go this route. He is telling you to keep going and let us make it all work on our own.
᤻
The conflict presented in the story is how differing opinions affect the balance and outcome of a relationship. The relationship between the characters is on the ropes and Hemingway uses freedom as