Hills Like White Elephants: A Literary Analysis

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There has always been a lot of controversy about abortion, an act which has been performed for thousands of years and in almost every society. However, it was The 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade that made it possible for women to get safe, legal abortions. Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants”, published in August 1927, can be linked to this topic. The main topics that are topics that are treated in most analyses of this short story are abortion and the continuation of their relationship. Hilary K. Justice points out that the author used abortion as a metaphor for threats to his relationship with his second wife (Whyche).
The story starts with a long description of the story’s setting. The focus shifts to a young couple that is waiting outside on a train station in Spain. Due to the fact that they have to wait forty minutes for their next train, they …show more content…
She only agrees with her boyfriend because she wants to please him. Yet, her ultimate decision stays unknown. Therefore, the reader needs to figure this out by himself since the story has an open ending. The fact that the topic of abortion and pregnancy is never explicitly mentioned and only insinuated makes it more difficult to interpret Jig’s decision.
Their relationship shows several flaws. There is a certain kind of tension between the lovers, mainly because of lack of communication. You can feel the girl’s anger towards the man because he is really insensitive and too confident in his decision. Furthermore, their alcohol consumption is alarming. According to Phillip Sipiora they both had three beers, at least one of them ‘big’ and each the Anis del Toro, all during a short period of time (Oliver 203). Over consumption of alcohol is never a good sign, as it has many disadvantages and negative
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