Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants is a fascinating story, set at a train station at Zaragosa, Spain. This story first appeared in a short story collection titled Men Without Women, which was published in 1927. In this story, we eavesdrop on a conversation held by “the American and the girl with him” (170). In their dialogue, conflict is created as the characters face what most readers believe to be the obstacle of unexpected pregnancy. This is assumed through symbolism and the titles meaning. The term “white elephant” was used in the Swing era, and usually stood for an unwanted gift. The birth of a child, when unexpected could then be seen as a “white elephant.” This story touches on an issue most people are very familiar with: Communication problems in a relationship. Although the couple in the story are talking, they seem unable to convey their differing opinions to each other. The theme is established throughout the story, but the reader first notices the trouble in the couple’s conversation in line 11, when the girl says that the hills “look like white elephants” (170). For the first time we sense sarcasm in the man‘s respon

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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1106
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)