Faulkner and Hemingway

Although their styles differ, in comparing Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying to Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants,” one can see that they share similar use of literary elements with narratives that are equally effective in their own rights. Written in documentary style, Hemingway’s technique remains indifferent to both characters, with no access to their thoughts or emotional interpretation in their words. This differs from Faulkner's "stream-of-consciousness" style, which is written as though he is inside the mind of his characters.

In accordance with his Iceberg Theory, Hemingway has stripped everything but the essentials in “Hills Like White Elephants,” leaving the reader to sift through the remaining dialogue and bits of narrative. At first read it isn't easy to understand what the two are discussing, but just as the tip of an iceberg hides a mass underneath its surface, so does Hemingway’s dialogue, conveying unstated tension through its subtext. Similarly, Hemmingway's Iceberg Theory is employed by Faulkner in As I Lay Dying. The weight of this story rests heavily with what is left unsaid or buried beneath the surface, subtly unfolding so that the reader must use the given context to understand the story elements.

As I Lay Dying is told in a first-person point of view from each of the main characters, primarily staying in present tense. This differs from "Hills Like Elephants," where Hemmingway has chosen to tell the story with a third-person narrator. The reader is only left with what they do, see, and most importantly, what they say. By using simile and metaphor, Hemingway renders his story in symbolic terms.

Hemingway presents a great effect of repetition in his story, an example of this being seen through dialogue. When the man insists that Jig doesn’t have to have the abortion if she doesn’t want to, he has repeated this so many times that insincerity is stressed. Repetition through dialogue also assists in describing Jig's personality in a more childish way when she says, “would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemingway 4). Repetition in dialogue can also be seen in As I Lay Dying, such an example being: “Are you going to nail her up in it, Cash? Cash? Cash?” and “Are you going to nail it shut, Cash? Nail it? Nail it?” (Faulkner 65). This gives an implied tone of impatience and hurrying as the character keeps emphasizing certain words.

Similarly, both authors make use of allusion. Hemingway writes: “the mountains looked like white elephants" (Hemingway 2), which is an example that helps with the description of the background and alludes to an unresolved conservation. Simple hidden allusion can be seen in specifically in the word choice of the name "Jig," suggesting "a dance, the music for the dance, and a joke, for instance, and thereby exposes the man's ultimately condescending attitude toward her. Jig is also a mechanical tool that moves up and down and can also be a symbol of the man's sexual dehumanization” (O'Brien 21).

Just as Hemingway uses allusion in Jig’s name, Faulkner has done so with his title, which was taken from Homer's Odyssey, in which Agamemnon describes his death: "As I lay dying, the woman with the dog's eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades." Faulkner references Homer's Odyssey in other portions of his book as well, along with biblical allusions which can be seen in the use of Biblical language used in the description of the family, the travels, and the emotions of the characters.

Irony plays an important role for both works as well. The very use of a clear and economical style to reveal a relationship that is troubled and complex in “Hills Like Elephants” is itself ironic. Carefully crafted the powerful story seems to be void of emotion and deception. The unemotional style appears to be appropriate for whom the reader believes to be the protagonist, but in fact is revealed to be destructive and deceitful. By examining what is implied through irony as well as what is indicated by symbolism and repetition the deeper levels of this story are disclosed.

Through the use of dramatic irony, what appears on the surface in As I Lay Dying as a solemn reflection on death, truly takes on the form of a dark type of humor. Faulkner's use of irony and sarcasm serve the purpose of establishing the appearance of the rural south and exploring the character's perspectives of death in an intimate manner as they deal with grief. If not ridiculous on its own, every act of heroism counteracts an equally epic act, a vicious cycle that assists in an absurdity which is both tragic and comedic to the story. The most ironic aspect of this story is that the mother is buried in a wedding dress, traditionally associated with new beginnings. This is also strange given that she hated her husband.

While it is apparent throughout As I Lay Dying and “Hills Like White Elephants” that there are different narrative approaches, both use Hemingway’s Iceberg Technique and combine a use of repetition, irony, and allusion to portray their narrative. While Hemingway started from a wider view and narrowes the reader’s understanding by diving deeper into the writing, Faulkner limited his scope to give genuinely relatable characters and the ability to apply a personal understanding. In conclusion, while both authors may be presenting different messages in their works through contrasting approaches, they have chosen similar literary elements which can be seen throughout these two stories.

Works Cited:

Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. HarperCollins, 2021.

Faulkner, William. As I Lay Dying. 1st ed., GENERAL PRESS, 2020.

O’Brien, Timothy D. “ALLUSION, WORD-PLAY, AND THE CENTRAL CONFLICT IN HEMINGWAY’S ‘HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS.’” DocPlayer, Hemingway Review Magazine, 1992.