Hills Like White Elephants

Who is the author?

Ernest Hemingway

What is the setting?

Spain in the 1920s at a train station.

What is significant about the time period?

It was a time of post-WWI disenchantment, where many ex-patriots went to Europe.

What does the train station represent?

Places of departure and arrival

Who are the characters?

The American man and Jig

Are the characters flat or round?

The American man is flat, and while Jig is flat, she is potentially dynamic

What is the conflict?

An operation

What is the operation?

An abortion.

What is the POV?

Objective

What is Hemingway’s style?

Iceberg, where 10% of the story is shown through words and actions, and 90% must be inferred

What is symbolic about the landscape?

The desert on one side and the lushness of the other side symbolizes negative and positive outcomes.

What does Hemingway accomplish by separating the descriptions of the landscape?

Higher contrast

What do the suitcases symbolize?

They are nomads and have no roots

What is a white elephant?

Something you don’t want

What is the white elephant of the story?

The baby

What does the dialogue reveal?

Extreme miscommunication and the moral bankruptcy of their world

Who is the winner?

No one is the winner; their relationship is doomed either way.