In “Hills Like White Elephants,” Hemingway’s use of symbolism is critical to driving the story forward because the dialogue is so ambiguous. The couple is contemplating whether or not Jig should have an abortion, but neither one of them actually mentions the topic. The symbolism in the landscape helps show the reader what the topic is and how the choice regarding the operation could be considered a choice between a bountiful future and a barren one.
In particular, Hemingway uses three different terrains as symbols. Recall how Jig looks at the hills across the valley and says they look like white elephants. This suggests that she has a lively imagination and that she has a desire to see things that are not really there. The man she is with responds to her comment and says, “I’ve never seen one.” His attitude toward the moment suggests that he is...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
not as imaginative and is a bit self-centered. This interaction shows how different they are and how their relationship is built in part on illusions.
The two contrasting landscapes on the side of the train station are also symbols. While the couple is drinking and debating whether or not Jig should have an abortion, they are on the side of the station where the country is “brown and dry.” This barren landscape symbolizes the lack of passion and authentic emotional connection in their relationship. The problems in their relationship are also clear from the dialogue (recall how at one point Jig asks him to “please please please please please please please stop talking”) but the dialogue is often vague, while the symbols suggest how the plot might unfold. For instance, the fact that they take the train on the barren side of the land suggests that they decide not to have the baby.
On the other side of the station, Jig sees a bountiful land with grains, trees, rivers, and mountains. She looks at this landscape and says, “And we could have all of this.” This line represents what she thinks she could have if she has the baby. It is a promising future full of different types of beautiful experiences. However, as we know from her comment about the elephants, she is over-imaginative and wants to see things that aren’t there, like love from the man. In the end, as they take the train on the barren side, Hemingway suggests that the idea that they could have had such a lush life was nothing but an illusion.
How does Hemingway use plot, irony, and symbolism in "Hills Like White Elephants"?
Hemingway employs both his plot and symbolism to further the theme of Doubt and Ambiguity. With only dialogue as the foundation for the plot, the discussion between Jig and the man is unclear and unresolved. In his minimalist style, Hemingway never mentions what the "it" is that the couple discuss as they converse. Jig tells the man that things are "like white elephants," suggesting that the baby she carries is symbolically a "white elephant" as are the distant hills.
Thus, the setting is the chief source of symbols. With the railroad tracks as symbolic of the divide between Jig who is romantic and optimistic and the nameless man who is practical and coldly objective, one side of the tracks has fertile land with vegetation while the other is barren. In the distance are the hills which symbolize the dissention between the couple. They possess something which is of no value anymore:
"Then what will we do afterwards?" [Jig asks]
"We'll be fine afterwards. Just like we were before."
"What makes you think so?"
In the end, the man says, "I'd better take the bags over to the other side of the station," indicating symbolically that he is becoming alienated from her.
One of the themes of "Hills Like White Elephants" has to do with making choices. The American seems sure about having Jig get an abortion while Jig is not convinced. However, Jig is also trying to decide how much she wants to remain in a relationship with the American and whether or not her decision to have the abortion is related to a decision to keep or give up the relationship. The irony of the situation is that the American continually tells Jig that he loves her and that things are going to work out fine even though his tone suggests that if Jig does not agree to have the abortion, then he will leave on the next train and never return. There is much ambiguity in the plot, and it is not even directly stated that the issue of debate is the abortion. This suggests that the theme revolves not around the topic of abortion specifically, but around the topic of making decisions. The abortion then is simply a symbol for the hard decisions that couples must make during the course of their relationships.
What type of irony is present in Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants?
I think that there is a relationship irony evident between Jig and the American in Hemingway's short story. On one hand, both of them profess to care for the other. At the same time, there is some fundamental tension that exists between them about "the procedure." This is something that ends up reflecting how little they actually care for one another and how much they actually care for themselves. The irony is that while they speak to one another about how they care for one another, the reality is that there is nothing but self- interest that exists underneath. It is ironic when the American keeps saying to Jig that it is her choice. In saying it repeatedly, there is a strong implication that he wants to influence her choice. On her part, Jig keeps asking if everything will be satisfactory if she has the procedure, and in doing so, the irony is that she already senses that their relationship will be forever altered no matter what she decides. In the end, the irony of their relationship, professing to be strong, but actually becoming quite weak becomes the ultimate reality that underscores the dialogue between them.