MElc

MS, MAINE ALFANTE

LCirteirtiaqruye21ST CENTURY ADVISER

HANNAH MAE
MELCHOR

ARELLANO UNIVERSITY
Jose Abad Santos Campus

Basic Education Department – Senior High School

A Formalist Criticism

“Hills Like White Elephants”
by Ernest Hemingway

(A critique submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the subject
21st Century Literature)

MELCHOR, HANNAH MAE A.

January 3, 2023

ARELLANO UNIVERSITY
Jose Abad Santos Campus

Basic Education Department – Senior High School

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page I
II
Table of Contents

Chapters 1
2
A. Introduction 4
B. Critique 5
C. Summary/Conclusion 9
D. Analysis 10
Book Cover
Bibliography

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INTRODUCTION

Hemingway was part of this "lost generation," which could no longer believe in the
ideologies and religions that had sustained people before the war. This group turned away from faith
and continuity and toward an existential worldview in which people had to find or create their
meanings.

While not all techniques of literary modernism apply to Hemingway, his writing strongly
reflects several aspects of the movement, such as the fragmentation of both narrative and society, a
rejection of existing morality (seen in both the premarital sex in this story and relatively casual
discussion of abortion), and the emphasis on symbolism (the "white elephants" of the story's title).
Scholar Howard Hannum sees this story's use of elision (leaving things out) and suggestion, rather
than a direct statement, along with its sheer density, as making it "an extraordinary example of
Modernist writing.

In America in the early 20th century, when Hemingway grew up, abortion was lawful only
for restricted medical reasons. In Spain, where the couple is conversing, abortion was banned.
Having lived in Europe, Hemingway would have been aware that abortion was illegal but available
to those with the necessary connections and resources.

Given how the American describes the "surgery," he likely knows several ladies who have
undergone this procedure. Even though the American characterizes the surgery as a "simple
operation" in "Hills Like White Elephants," what is the meaning of the girl's staring at the hills and
looking down at the ground?

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CRITIQUE

In Ernest Hemingway's short tale, it is clear that he employed symbolism and figurative
language to give each part of the narrative significance. In the title "Hills like White Elephants," the
author uses the white elephant as a symbol or the story's primary emblem. The male character
describes it as something difficult to retain or have. In contrast, the other character describes it as
something unique, uncommon, and worth cherishing. As the couple waits for their following location,
it is evident that the plot revolves around a struggle in which they must decide whether or not to
perform an abortion. The narrative's point of view, surroundings, and plot all contributed to the
conclusion that the work is about abortion.

The story's significant protagonists are Jig, the pregnant lady, and her husband or partner. The
male in the narrative appears to persuade the girl to have surgery to resolve the problem. The woman
spilled out her sentiments during their conversation by declaring, "Everything tastes like licorice."
Especially everything you have waited so long for, such as absinthe." This sentence is a metaphor for
how the woman's life becomes bittersweet since it began as sweet, but the bitterness within was
predicted after a long time. It represents how the lady had hoped that the male would be receptive to
having a child, but he favors abortion instead. When the man stated that he would not compel the
lady to perform the activity and would leave the decision up to her, they both became unfaithful.
However, he swiftly countered that it would be ideal for them to do the act so they could continue
living their lives as they had previously. Despite seeking a new life with their child, the woman
accepts the man's decision because she loves him and is afraid of being left alone if she pretends she
does not care about anything.

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After carefully reading and evaluating its location and circumstances, a new symbolic parallel
emerges. It is said in the introduction that the hills on opposite sides of the valley are described
differently, with one having "no shade and no trees" and the other having "railing of the sun" and
some vegetation. These sides of the trees may represent the circumstance in which the characters'
choices diverge. The dark side of the valley may symbolize the man's decision to terminate the
unborn kid and continue living as a couple, as they did previously. At the same time, the valley's
sunny side symbolizes the woman's wish to start a new life with meaningful family memories.

This short story is told through conversations among the narrative's primary protagonists. It
focuses on the divergent perspectives of two couples and how they interpret or represent items such
as hills and white elephants. This short narrative demonstrates the complexity of the relationship
between human conflicts and the difficulty of making certain decisions with another person, as it
impacts a person's future and life. Even though this is written or narrated from a third-person
perspective, Jig's perspective dominates the tale since she is the one who will commit and carry out
the action they both resolve to take.

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SUMMARY

In the early 1920s, a young American man and woman, aged nineteen or twenty, are waiting
at a Spanish train station for the express train to Madrid. They consume beer, two anis drinks with a
licorice flavor, and more beer while sitting in the scorching shade and discussing what the American
says will be an "easy procedure" for the female.

The tension between them is comparable to the intensity of the Spanish sun. While pressing
the girl to undergo the procedure, the man reiterates that he does not want her to go through with it if
she does not want to. However, he is pressing that she do so. The girl attempts to seem courageous
and casual, but she is terrified about committing to having the procedure. She employs a
conversational, whimsical figure of speech — remarking that the hills outside the railway station
"look like white elephants" — to charm the man, but he resents her strategy. He insists on discussing
the procedure and the fact that, according to what he has heard, it is "normal" and "not an operation
at all" in further detail.

The fast train finally comes, and the two prepare to board. The female informs the male that
she is "fine." She deceives him by agreeing to his demands in order to appease him. There has been
no resolution. The tension remains taut and coiling as they prepare to depart for Madrid. The girl is
upset by the man's fake, condescending empathy and is also quite anxious about the surgery she will
endure in Madrid.

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ANALYSIS

Before recent times, this narrative was rejected by early editors and neglected by anthologists.
Early editors rejected it because they believed it to be a "sketch" or "anecdote" rather than a short
narrative. At the time, editors attempted to predict what the reading public wanted, and they initially
believed they had to purchase narratives with storylines. "Hills Like White Elephants" does not have
a typical storyline or narrative structure.

This story's early rejection can be partially attributed to the fact that none of the editors who
read it understood what was happening. Even now, the majority of readers continue to find the
narrative puzzling. In other words, only the most astute reader will quickly recognize that the couple
is debating over the girl having an abortion when abortions were illegal, viewed as immoral, and
sometimes hazardous.

Early criticisms of this work also emphasized the absence of conventional character traits.
The female is referred to as "the girl," whereas the male is referred to as "the guy." There are no
descriptions of either person's appearance or attire. In contrast to traditional stories, in which the
author typically hints about the main character's appearance, voice, and attire, we know nothing
about "the guy" or "the girl" in this piece. We need to find out their background. Can we presume
anything about them? Is "the guy" significantly older and "the girl" maybe younger? The tone of "the
girl" is one basis for believing this bare-bones assumption. Her inquiries are not those of a mature,
worldly lady but instead of a young woman wanting to satisfy the guy she is with.

Astonishingly, this tale was even published. Authors were formerly required to shepherd their
readers through a tale. However, in "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway removes himself

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entirely from the narrative. There is no indication of the author's voice in the text. Compare this
storytelling style to the conventional nineteenth-century way of storytelling. In the past, authors like
Dickens and Trollope frequently addressed their readers personally.

On the other hand, we need to learn how to respond to Hemingway's characters. If
Hemingway had stated, for instance, that the girl talked "sarcastically," or "bitterly," or "angry," or
that she was "puzzled" or "indifferent," or that the guy spoke with "an air of superiority," we would
have been able to relate to these people more readily. Instead, Hemingway distances himself so far
from people and their acts that he appears to know little about them. The moniker "Jig" was given to
the girl by pure chance.

Nonetheless, by the late 1990s, this story had become one of Hemingway's most widely
collected short works. This new respect for the narrative stems partly from Hemingway's use of
conversation to convey the story's "meaning." That is, there is no description, narration,
identification of character, or intent. Although we are unclear about the issue of the debate (abortion),
the language conveys all of our conclusions about the people.

In addition, this story's appeal might be attributed to the alteration of readers' expectations. In
the 1990s, readers were accustomed to reading between the lines of fictional narratives and disliked
being told everything about the characters in minute detail. They appreciated that Hemingway did
not indicate whether or not the two characters were married. He merely gives their discourse and lets
the reader form conclusions. Consequently, readers likely believe that these two individuals are not
married, but if we are intrigued enough to hypothesize about them, we must consider how marriage
might impact their lives.

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Moreover, to address this issue, we must consider one of the story's few details: their baggage.
Their suitcase bears labels from all of the hotels where they have stayed. If this couple, a man and a
woman, were to have a kid, they would likely have to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and adopt a
new one; they would also have to decide whether or not to wed and legalize the child. Given their
seemingly free lifestyle and desire for independence, having a child and getting married would
significantly impact their lives.

Even though the male insists that he wants the girl to get an abortion only if she desires one,
his sincerity and honesty are questioned. When he utters, "If you do not choose to, you are not
required to. I would not make you if you did not want to do it. He is not persuasive. From his
previous words, it is clear that he does not desire the responsibilities that a child would involve; he
appears to want the girl to get an abortion and is notably insensitive to her sentiments.

On the other hand, we believe that the girl is uncertain about her desire for an abortion. She
has mixed feelings about the decision. We get the impression that she is tired of traveling, letting the
guy make all the choices, and allowing the man to talk nonstop until he persuades her that his way is
the correct way. He has become her mentor and protector. He still interprets for her: A doctor
performs an abortion by only allowing "a little air in." They will then go on new trips. However, the
girl has grown bored of her life of constant change, living in motels, traveling, and never settling
down. The girl describes their transient, unstable lifestyle as living on the surface: "[We] stare at
objects and try different beverages."

When the guy offers to stay with the girl throughout the "simple" procedure, his insincerity is
again shown, as what he considers "simple" may be emotionally and physically destructive to her.

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The man employs his logic to be as convincing as possible. Without a child holding them down, they
can continue traveling; they may "have it all." However, she disputes him and, at that point, appears
unexpectedly more confident and in charge of the situation. No of the outcome of the abortion,
nothing will ever be the same. She also knows that she is not loved unconditionally, if at all.

This brings us to the story's title. The girl observed the mountains and commented that they
resemble "white elephants." Immediate tension escalates between the two until the man exclaims,
"Oh, cut it out!" She argues that he initiated the disagreement, then apologizes by explaining that the
mountains do not resemble white elephants — simply "their skin through the trees."
From the man's perspective, the hills do not resemble white elephants or possess skins. The girl,
however, has moved away from the man's reasoning world and into her intuitive realm, where she
understands that her aspirations will never be satisfied. This understanding is best demonstrated
when she looks across the river and sees fields of lush grain and the river — the land's fertility in
contrast to the white-elephant sterility of the surrounding hills. She craves the grain fields' beauty,
loveliness, and fertility. However, she is aware that she must settle for the sterility of an impending
abortion and the prolonged presence of an inadequate man. What she will do in the end is outside the
purview of the narrative.

During the few exchanges between the guy and the girl, she transforms from someone who is
nearly entirely dependent on him to someone who is more self-assured and knowledgeable of what to
anticipate from him. After their chat, she asserts her authority over herself and the circumstance. She
no longer behaves childishly. The seven occurrences of the word "please" indicate that she is
exhausted by the man's duplicity and incessant harping on the same issue.

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BOOK COVER

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abortion In Hills Like White Elephants, By Ernest Hemingway.
https://www.cram.com/essay/Abortion-In-Hills-Like-White-Elephants-By/PKXFLVLUREE5

Analysis of 'Hills Like White Elephants' by Ernest Hemingway
https://www.thoughtco.com/hills-like-white-elephants-analysis-2990497

Symbolisms
https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Hills-Like-White-Elephants/infographic/

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