Hills like White Elephants
← ''Macbet'' by William Shakespeare | Edgar Allan Poe → |
Introduction
This is a story about a man only referred to as the American and a lady referred to as Jig. These characters are sitting at a train station in Spain, and they are waiting for a train that will take them to Madrid. The train station is surrounded by hills, and, at one point, lady Jig says that the hills look like white elephants. The two characters order some beer, and they start drinking as they wait for the train. Then, they start discussing the problem that is facing them. They talk about “an operation” that the lady is to undergo. The nature of the operation is not discussed in details by the two characters, but they say enough things to make the reader conclude that the operation is an abortion. The man seems dominant in this situation, and the lady agrees, passively, to the impending operation.
Criticisms
Jake Stukas says that the title of this story is very symbolic. This phrase also appears in the dialogue between the two characters. The lady says that the hills resemble white elephants, but the man says that he has never seen any. Jake Stukas then goes ahead to explain the symbolism of this image, and he says that white elephants are albino elephants in Thailand. These elephants were considered sacred, and they brought much pride to the owner. However, these elephants were not allowed to work, and they were, at the same time, a burden to the owner; they had no use for the owner since they could not work (Stukas). The relationship between the two characters is like white elephant since the American seems to be fed up with Jig. This is because he wants Jig to have an abortion. He is not ready to take the responsibility for the child. Therefore, the girl has become a problem to him despite the fact that they were happy before the girl became pregnant.
Thomas Muller writes a book in which he explores Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory in two stories, The Killers and Hills like White Elephants. The American appears cold in this story, and this advances this theory; he is a symbol of this theory. The readers can see the American’s “concern” for the lady, yet he is pushing the lady towards procuring an abortion. He hides this side of him in his words, and he pretends to care for the feelings of the lady (Mullar 08). At one time, he even tells the lady not to undergo the operation if she does not feel comfortable. However, the American is the source of the idea of abortion, and he is pushing the lady towards it. This can be seen because the lady envisions a future with the baby. The character of the American is hidden in the story, and the reader can just get the real feelings of this man through the cold approach that this man tackles issues. The lady is in agreement with this man simply because the man seems dominant in their relationship; he determines the actions of the lady (Mullar 09).
According to Shmoop, the train station and the luggage are also symbols in this story; they symbolize bodies in motion. In the story, the two lovers spend most of their time travelling. In fact, the two do not stay at one place for long. These symbols also represent the unstable relationship that the two characters have. They could also act as a premonition of their impending break up (Shmoop 18). This is because the two characters have different perspectives of what they want in the relationship.
Buy pre-written essay from our writers and you will find the exceptional quality writing help.
- Edgar Allan Poe
- The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice
- ''Macbet'' by William Shakespeare
- Edgar Allan Poe: Too Short a Story
![]() |
Celine H.
Calistoga, CA
|
|
Thanks for doing a great job on a paper that was an important part of my semester. You guys rock! |
![]() |
Maddie P.
Seattle, WA
|
|
The EssaysEmpire.com website is so great! There are no mysteries to be solved. They give you the full layout about what they have to offer and how much it costs. No surprises. I had a couple of questions about the different options and their customer service rep was so friendly! She answered all my questions. I ordered my first paper and it was so well written that I got an A+ on it! Thank you, EssaysEmpire.com! |
![]() |
Tom J.
Jackson, MI
|
|
Many thanks to your writers and customer service representatives for helping me get through a very difficult time in my college career. I needed writing assistance and your crew came through for me, big time! My papers were written impeccably. Thanks so much! |
![]() |
Sanjaya K.
Calcutta, INDIA
|
|
I am fully satisfied with my research paper. It cannot have been easy for your writers to compose! The topic is called, "PARALLEL ALGORITHM FOR MULTI-DIMENSIONAL MATRIX MULTIPLICATION OPERATIONS REPRESENTATION USING KARNAUGH MAP”. That is a very difficult topic! However, your writers developed an algorithm, included a diagram and a graph and related multi-dimensional matrix multiplication perfectly. I am thrilled with the work I received and will be using your company again in the near future. Thank you for all of your hard work on this project. I love it! |
![]() |
Cleo P.
Oakland, CA
|
|
I submitted my order as a ‘rush order’. I only had 2 days to get my paper finished and I just felt like I was sinking. I didn’t understand the material I was writing about, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. My friend recommended EssaysEmpire.com. I had very little lost by attempting to use this writing service, so I did. It was an excellent move on my part, because, not only was my paper finished on time. It was also excellently written. I will always be grateful to my friend for recommending your service. It is wonderful. |
![]() |
Morgan W.
Eugene, OR
|
|
I don’t see how anyone could write a paper about something as boring as the psychology of the two year old, could make it sound so interesting, but your writers managed to pull it off. Thank you for putting forth such a concerted effort to do a good job. I really appreciate it. I will use your service again |
![]() |
George Sparlin
Nashville, TN
|
|
You guys are fabulous to offer such amazing guarantees for your work. I hired you for my last two papers because there was no risk involved. That was a pretty attractive option, if you ask me. Of course, I didnРІР‚в„ўt have to cash in on any kind of guarantee, because the work was perfect! Go figure. Thank you, EssaysEmpire.com. |
![]() |
Mike G.
Rochester, NY
|
|
Your writing service is different from other writing services. Yours is the only one I have ever dealt with that I can truthfully say is legitimate. The staff is very professional. The writers are the best in the business. I am pleased with the results of my last three orders and plan to return for more soon. |
![]() |
Cleo C.
Wichita, KS
|
|
To the writers at EssaysEmpire.com: Next week, I will be graduating with a degree in clinical psychology. Over the course of my college years, I have had to turn to you for help many times. Each and every time, you produced some of the highest quality writing my professors had ever seen. Because of you, I was able to keep a high grade point average and get into an excellent grad school. There are simply no words adequate enough to fully express my appreciation, so I’ll simply say, “thank you” and let it go at that. Please know that you are appreciated. |
![]() |
Tricia A.
Calabasas, CA
|
|
Thanks for everything. I like your writing service a lot. Your staff is friendly and they’re always open. The papers that you’ve written for me have been very good. |
![]() |
Alexandra Z.
Dallas, TX
|
|
I am sitting here reading over what your writing service offers and I just realized that you are the only one that offers free rewrites and full guarantees on your work. This tells me that you are an honest company that I want to do business with. |
![]() |
Brianne H.
Tampa, FL
|
|
The paper that I purchased from EssaysEmpire.com was well written. Thank you. I will have another order for you soon. Since I was so happy with the way things went, I see no reason to use any other writing service. Your service delivers the goods, just like you say you will. |
![]() |
Della M.
Belfast, IR
|
|
I had to turn on my laptop for the express purpose of writing to you. I had to let you know what lifesavers you people are! I had never even considered hiring a professional writer to help me and was almost resigned to dropping out of school altogether. Then, I thought about it, and asked myself what it would hurt to try EssaysEmpire.com for just one paper. That paper was written astonishingly well! From that one paper, I learned many of the things that I did not know about writing. It was perfect, so I learned all about formatting in the APA style. I learned a lot, so I want to thank you for that. |
![]() |
Langley R.
Los Angeles, CA
|
|
One of the things that I appreciate most about EssaysEmpire.com, is that they don’t resell your paper. Only you own it, if you hire them to write something. Other writing services that I have used, just circulate the same paper over and over, and if you get caught turning one in, too bad. You are expelled. EssaysEmpire.com will even give you a plagiarism report after they run it through their anti-plagiarism check. Such details set EssaysEmpire.com above the rest. |
![]() |
Sharon S.
Dallas, TX
|
|
I greatly appreciate your assistance. Writing has never been my strong point. When I needed help, EssaysEmpire.com gave it to me. I am completely satisfied! |
![]() |
Mary R.
New York
|
|
Writer #48376 was very easy to work with. My professor made some changes to his requirements after he had assigned the paper. All I had to do was call your customer service and request to speak with the writer directly. Was able to relay the changes that my professor wanted, and he (writer #48376) accommodated them with no problem. I thought that was great. No headaches and perfect work. I couldn’t ask for a better experience! |
![]() |
Glynnis H.
Ft. Smith, AR
|
|
Hello! I just had to stop what I was doing to let you know how grateful I am that I found your excellent writing service. I have had to use you three times now, and each time, I have been 100% satisfied with the work that you did. Your writers are absolutely outstanding. I am very, very happy with everything you have written for me. |
![]() |
Susan L.
Ashland, OR
|
|
The writer who worked on my paper far exceeded what I asked of him. The paper is better than I thought it would be. I got an A+ on it! Thanks! |
![]() |
Jaffar M.
Salt Lake City, UT
|
|
My sincere thanks for a job well done. My professor loved my paper and commended me for handing in the one that your writing service helped me with. The paper flowed very well. It was logical and intelligent-sounding. I was very pleased overall. |
![]() |
Grace G.
London, UK
|
|
I was quite satisfied with the results of my paper order. EssaysEmpire.com sure has some good writers! I thought it might just be some college kids who were writing in their spare time to earn some extra bucks. No! EssaysEmpire.com hires legitimate writers. They all seem to be well educated and intelligent, too. My paper was terrific! |