Hills like White Elephants

As a man shaped by war and sportsmanlike adventures such as game hunting (London School of Journalism, 2003), one could be surprised to read a poignant piece on abortion, sensitively written by Ernest Hemingway, lacking overt personal agender, pushed toward the audience. Hemingway did just that in Nineteen twenty-seven, writing a thinly veiled discourse on abortion, forcing the reader to acknowledge (even if only in private) their own beliefs upon reading the dialogue between an unnamed American and his lover. Hemingway’s lack of verbosity (Stone, Pg 395) is uniquely paired with his almost total reliance on dialogue to deliver this simple yet powerful story. Had Hemingway used a different set, or even placement of words the readers' interaction with the story would have been wholly different. Dialogue alone cannot tell the story, however. Three highly symbolic scenes are given at key intervals to set the stage and move the act along. These elements are supported by Hemingway allowing the reader a direct point of view and encouraging deliberate engagement. It is imperative though that the reader consider “Hills like white elephants” through the lens of Hemingway’s own ‘iceberg theory’; “the dignity in the movement of an iceberg lies in only one-eighth of it being above water” (London School of Journalism, 2003)

As with the iceberg, the banal simplicity of the dialogue in ‘Hills’ belies what is hidden beneath its surface. “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig”… “It’s not really an operation at all”. The man is never any more detailed about the nature of the ‘operation’ than this, as a result, the tete-a-tete remains oblique to outsiders. Deliberately so. It is this very vagueness that allows the reader to take from the story what they need to make a decision. The girl is likewise abstract, referring to the operation as “it” throughout the piece. The language's simplicity draws the reader in, it is necessary for the readers to consider every word, and often reread the dialogue to determine the subject matter. The dialogue is also how the reader is introduced to the qualities of the characters. The American reveals himself as manipulative and caring only to have Jig as she is. Initial assurances of how “perfectly natural” and “simple” the operation leads to the American stating “I don’t want you to do anything if you don’t want to” and “I don’t want anyone else”. At the surface this reads as the man assuring Jig he’ll be with her regardless of her decision but his preceding words “I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you” show Jig and the reader that the pregnancy doesn’t mean anything to him (Gamini Fonseka, 2018), inviting the reader to understand his next assertion to mean he is only interested in Jig without an attached baby. The girl's nickname ‘Jig” indicates she is a spirited person, as does her recent history of travelling from place to place, and drinking. As the reader is given this piece of history, Hemingway also intimates the girl is unhappy with this, “That’s all we do, isn’t it – look at things and try new drinks?” A simple pause around the words ‘isn’t it’ creates a reflective sensation. Jig is revisiting her choices in light of her awakening maternal instincts. Changing the grammar in this passage may see Jig expressing enjoyment at her recent occupation or disgust at them. These small cues prompt the reader to understand Jig is uncertain about her path.

Hemingway uses highly symbolic descriptions to support the story. Everything from the title indicating the story topic is something cumbersome and unfortunate, through to the quality of the character's relationship being exposed by the girl looking everywhere but at the American. The scene is set with a bleak desolate feeling “On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun”. The couple are exposed, sweating under the heat of which direction to take. As Gamini Fonseka highlights the train station as a setting puts the couple into a period of transition (2018). No matter which decision the girl makes she will forever be changed by it, likewise even the termination of the baby will result in a change of relationship for the couple, as the American’s feelings have been exposed. Hemingway gives the story movement and time by placing three key descriptive scenes at set intervals; at the beginning, middle and end of the tale. The midway point of the story (journey) sees Jig staring across to a prettier vista. “Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro”. Jig is starting to view her pregnancy with more maternal instincts, looking for shelter and appreciating the beauty of her own fertility. “Far away, beyond the river, were mountains”, she can see the future baby, the ‘white elephant’ which she has already acknowledged is not truly an unwanted burden, no matter the surface appearance – “they don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the colouring of their skin”. The final scene, after the confrontation between the two, has subsided, positions the American as carrying the heavy burden, Jig is taking none of that weight for herself. He is the one worrying “He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them…”. The American has spent the majority of the dialogue attempting to persuade his lover of his preferences. But in the end, he does not see the journey going that way “He looked up the tracks but could not see the train”. Jig however is waiting happily, for the first time she “smiled at him” and assures herself, the reader and her lover that “There’s nothing wrong with me”.

Jig’s final assurance “I feel fine” is the only indication given that she has arrived at a decision, if only within her heart. The nature of that decision is unknown to the reader and it is part of the direct observer point of view employed by Hemingway which allows the reader to engage completely with the story. Rather than being removed from the situation, this device puts the reader in the thinking of things. The reader is either viewing the characters as someone they know, or they are identifying with them personally. The point of view is a comparatively small feature but is nonetheless crucial. Hemingway has written about a taboo topic and guided the reader through some heavy emotions. To write this from a distant point of view takes away the urgency of the matter, and the severity of it and fails to convey the message personally.

It is this direct point of view feature that ties together the dialogical style and symbology; giving the reader a chance to feel their way through the heat and stickiness of ‘what would I do?’ to arrive at a destination. Short stories are designed to engage and pass on a message. Readers must be guided to look deeper, to go under the surface and ‘Hills like White Elephants’ accomplishes this with grace.

References

Balakrishnan, G, 2003, London School of Journalism. Retrieved from https://www.lsj.org/web/literature/hemingway.php

Stone, W, Packer, NH and Hoopes, R. 1983. The short story, an introduction. Second edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc, New York.

Gamini Fonseka, E.A, “Dissuasion Resulting in Determination: Paradox in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway” American Research Journal of English and Literature, vol 4, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1 – 9