Hills Like White Elephants Questions and Answers
Hills Like White Elephants
In "Hills Like White Elephants", why does the girl say everything tastes like licorice, and why does this annoy her...
Jig says everything tastes like licorice to express her bitterness about her boyfriend's insincerity regarding her pregnancy and the abortion he pressures her to have. This sarcasm annoys him because...
Hills Like White Elephants
Formulate a thesis for an essay on Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants."
A potential thesis for an essay on Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" could explore the theme of communication and its impact on relationships, analyzing how the characters' indirect dialogue...
Hills Like White Elephants
Jig's Character, Thoughts, and Final Statement in "Hills Like White Elephants"
In Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," Jig's character is explored through her interactions and symbolic naming. Her nickname, "Jig," suggests a lively past and reflects the burden of her...
Hills Like White Elephants
What does the anise/licorice/absinthe symbolize in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
In "Hills Like White Elephants," anise, licorice, and absinthe symbolize the couple's hedonistic and superficial lifestyle. Jig's comment that everything tastes like licorice suggests their life is...
Hills Like White Elephants
Comprehensive Analysis of "Hills Like White Elephants"
Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" employs a third-person objective point of view to explore the complex relationship between a man and a woman, Jig, waiting for a train in Spain. The...
Hills Like White Elephants
Themes and Symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants"
In Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," the landscapes and hills symbolize the couple's relationship and the unborn child. The barren terrain represents their strained connection, while the...
Hills Like White Elephants
The use of irony in "Hills Like White Elephants."
The use of irony in "Hills Like White Elephants" is evident in the characters' dialogue and the setting. While they discuss a serious and life-changing decision, they avoid directly addressing it,...
Hills Like White Elephants
What would the cost of "four reales" in "Hills Like White Elephants" be in 1920s American money?
In the 1920s, "four reales" in "Hills Like White Elephants" would be equivalent to one peseta. Given the 1927 exchange rate, one peseta was roughly 0.0625 U.S. cents, making the cost of the drinks...
Hills Like White Elephants
The main conflict and focus in "Hills Like White Elephants."
The main conflict in "Hills Like White Elephants" is the couple's disagreement over whether the woman should have an abortion. The story focuses on their indirect and tense conversation at a train...
Hills Like White Elephants
The symbolism of the "white elephant" in the story
The "white elephant" in the story symbolizes something unwanted or burdensome. It represents the couple's pregnancy and the conflicting feelings they have about it, highlighting the tension and...
Hills Like White Elephants
In "Hills Like White Elephants," what is the purpose of the travelers' trip?
The purpose of the trip in "Hills Like White Elephants" is for Jig to get an abortion. While the text never explicitly states this, the dialogue and context imply it. The American pressures Jig into...
Hills Like White Elephants
Key Elements and Climax in "Hills Like White Elephants"
The key elements in "Hills Like White Elephants" are the symbols of white elephants and the hills, representing the couple's relationship and the unborn baby. The climax occurs when Jig contradicts...
Hills Like White Elephants
Possible alternative endings for "Hills Like White Elephants."
Possible alternative endings for "Hills Like White Elephants" could include the couple deciding to stay together and raise the child, or perhaps the woman choosing to leave the man and keep the baby...
Hills Like White Elephants
How does Hemingway's use of third person point of view in "Hills Like White Elephants" impact readers?
Hemingway's use of third-person objective point of view in "Hills Like White Elephants" creates an emotional distance, mirroring the characters' inability to understand each other's thoughts and...
Hills Like White Elephants
The significance of the repeated use of the number two in "Hills Like White Elephants"
The repeated use of the number two in "Hills Like White Elephants" signifies the duality and tension between the characters' choices. It underscores the couple's conflicting perspectives and the...
Hills Like White Elephants
What does Jig decide to do at the end of "Hills Like White Elephants"?
At the end of "Hills Like White Elephants," Jig appears to decide to have the abortion. The narrative suggests this conclusion through Jig's vacillation and the man's persistent persuasion. Jig's...
Hills Like White Elephants
Why is the American in Spain in Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"?
The American in Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is likely in Spain due to the low cost of living, the appeal of traveling during the 1920s, and possibly to escape Prohibition in the U.S. The...
Hills Like White Elephants
What is the significance of the man drinking an Anis alone before rejoining the girl?
The man drinks an Anis alone to cope with stress and avoid a tense conversation about the girl's pregnancy and potential abortion. His actions reflect selfishness and a need for calm amidst...
Hills Like White Elephants
How can the presence or absence of character names in "What We Talk About" and "Hills Like White Elephants" be used...
The use of character names in Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" and Carver's "What We Talk About" can highlight thematic contrasts in an essay. Hemingway's sparse naming, with "the girl" and...
Hills Like White Elephants
What is an example of sarcasm used by Jig in "Hills Like White Elephants" besides the licorice reference?
Besides the licorice reference, Jig uses sarcasm when she responds to the American's comment, "You don't have to be afraid. I've known lots of people that have done it," with "And afterward they were...
Hills Like White Elephants
In "Hills Like White Elephants," why does the American stop at the station barroom for another Anis?
The American stops at the barroom for another Anis to distance himself from Jig amid their tense conversation about her potential abortion. Their relationship is strained as he pressures her to...
Hills Like White Elephants
The dramatic tension in Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is achieved through his handling of dialogue and...
The dramatic tension in Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is achieved through his use of sparse dialogue and subtext. The characters' indirect communication and the underlying, unspoken issue...
Hills Like White Elephants
What is a common theme in "Hills Like White Elephants," "The Story of an Hour," and "Trifles"?
A common theme in "Hills Like White Elephants," "The Story of an Hour," and "Trifles" is the exploration of gender roles and the position of women. Each story highlights how women are often...
Hills Like White Elephants
What do the "labels from all the hotels" suggest about the couple in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
The "labels from all the hotels" indicate the couple's long-term, transient relationship, suggesting they have been together extensively and possibly married. The labels highlight their nomadic...
Hills Like White Elephants
How would you describe the dialogue in "Hills Like White Elephants" and why do you think the author wrote it this way?
The dialogue in "Hills Like White Elephants" is tense, flat, and repetitive, reflecting the underlying conflict and insincerity between Jig and her boyfriend. Hemingway uses sparse dialogue without...
Hills Like White Elephants
Who says "That's the way with everything" in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
In "Hills Like White Elephants," it is the man who says, "That's the way with everything." This line is part of a conversation reflecting their growing disenchantment with life and each other. The...
Hills Like White Elephants
Character Perspectives in "Hills Like White Elephants"
In Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants," the narrative style, largely composed of dialogue, leaves readers to interpret character sympathies and reasonableness. The story suggests greater...
Hills Like White Elephants
What do the couple in “Hills Like White Elephants” do after boarding the train?
After the couple gets off the train, there is no future for them. The man's selfishness, love of change and spontaneity, and unwillingness to have the baby destroy their relationship. They do not see...
Hills Like White Elephants
Why is the man in "Hills Like White Elephants" called "the American"?
The man in "Hills Like White Elephants" is called "the American" to emphasize his representation of American values, characterized by self-centeredness and emotional detachment. This title...
Hills Like White Elephants
How does the railroad station setting reflect the story's message in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
The railroad station in "Hills Like White Elephants" symbolizes a transitional point, reflecting the couple's impending decision about an abortion. The setting, with barren and fertile landscapes on...
Hills Like White Elephants
In Hills Like White Elephants, what kind of resolution does the story offer?
The story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Hemingway offers no clear resolution, which is part of its realism and beauty. By focusing on dialogue over traditional narrative techniques, the story...
Hills Like White Elephants
The reasons for the characters' and narrator's avoidance of explicitly discussing significant topics in "Hills Like...
The characters and narrator in "Hills Like White Elephants" avoid explicitly discussing significant topics to reflect the tension and miscommunication in their relationship. The story's minimalist...
Hills Like White Elephants
What are the comparisons and contrasts between characters and settings in "Hills Like White Elephants" and "Good...
"Hills Like White Elephants" and "Good People" both explore the theme of unplanned pregnancy and its impact on relationships. Hemingway's story uses a third-person objective view with cryptic...
Hills Like White Elephants
How do the landscape descriptions and drink orders relate to the conversation in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
The landscape descriptions and drink orders in "Hills Like White Elephants" reflect the characters' emotional states and relationship limbo. The barren train station and distant hills symbolize the...
Hills Like White Elephants
In "Hills Like White Elephants," what can we infer from the girl's comment about the American not having seen a white...
The man's carefree reaction to his girlfriend's comment about the white elephants in the hills suggests that he is insensitive to her and unconcerned about her. Her sarcastic response--"No, you...
Hills Like White Elephants
What purpose do the hills, tracks, station, and time reference serve in the first paragraph?
The hills, tracks, station, and time reference in the first paragraph symbolize the couple's situation. The hills, resembling white elephants, hint at Jig's pregnancy. The station represents a...
Hills Like White Elephants
What elements in the plot, dialogue, and technique of "Hills Like White Elephants" characterize it as a Modernist work?
"Hills Like White Elephants" exemplifies Modernist literature through its fragmented plot, sparse dialogue, and experimental techniques. The story lacks exposition and conclusion, leaving readers to...
Hills Like White Elephants
How does Hemingway's principle of revealing as little as possible operate in this story?
Hemingway employs his "less is more" principle by revealing minimal information about characters, relying on dialogue and action to convey personality and themes. This technique encourages readers to...
Hills Like White Elephants
Is the story "Hills like White Elephants" told objectively? What indications are there of the narrator's gender and...
The story is told objectively - the narrator does not reveal his or her feelings about the characters, and so we must work out what they are by reading between the lines. The reader feels more...
Hills Like White Elephants
What effect does Hemingway's inconsistent use of speaker tags have in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
In "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway does not use tags consistently to identify the speaker, and this helps to emphasize how awkward the communication is between Jig and the American. The...
Hills Like White Elephants
What are some examples of argumentative themes in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" seems to be about a man who wants his girlfriend to get an abortion, but she does not want to. He tries to convince her that they should have an abortion, and...
Hills Like White Elephants
Is Hemingway reliable in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
In "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway employs a third-person omniscient narrative, making the author reliable, though he deliberately omits details. The story's reliability is also questioned...
Hills Like White Elephants
In "Hills Like White Elephants", what purpose does the trivial conversation serve?
The trivial conversation in "Hills Like White Elephants" underscores the underlying tension and unresolved conflict between the characters. Hemingway's minimalist style, with its "iceberg effect,"...
Hills Like White Elephants
Understanding Jig's psychological profile and growth in "Hills Like White Elephants."
Jig's psychological profile in "Hills Like White Elephants" evolves from uncertainty and dependence to a clearer sense of self-awareness and assertion. Initially, she relies on her partner's...
Hills Like White Elephants
Hemingway's techniques in "Hills Like White Elephants" to develop characters and express their emotions
Hemingway uses dialogue and minimalistic descriptions in "Hills Like White Elephants" to develop characters and express their emotions. The characters' conversations reveal underlying tensions and...
Hills Like White Elephants
What two language devices develop the central idea in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
Symbolism and understatement are two key language devices used to develop the central idea in "Hills Like White Elephants." Symbolism is evident in the white hills, representing Jig's pregnancy and...
Hills Like White Elephants
What do the names given to the two characters in "Hills Like White Elephants" suggest?
The names in "Hills Like White Elephants" suggest a power imbalance and emotional disconnect. The man is referred to as "the American" or "the man," indicating maturity or authority, while the woman...
Hills Like White Elephants
How does Hemingway’s use of symbolism in “Hills Like White Elephants” drive the story forward?
Hemingway utilizes his plot and symbolism to maintain the theme of Doubt and Ambiguity.
Hills Like White Elephants
How can I compare "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan and "Hills Like White Elephants" by Hemingway?
Compare the literary elements and techniques in Tan's and Hemingway's pieces of literature. Compare point of view, narrators, chronology, tone, mood and symbolism.
Hills Like White Elephants
What do the images in the story, such as the bead curtain and white hills, convey about the incident?
The images in the story, such as the bead curtain and white hills, symbolize deeper emotions and themes. The bead curtain evokes maternal feelings in Jig, reminding her of baby toys and her desire...