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
Jeff M.
Baltimore, MD
|
|
|
I would like to commend your excellent writers for a job well done. They followed my directions to a tee. Thank you, EssaysEmpire.com for being who you are and for doing what you do. There is no better writing service anywhere. |
Bryce F.
Capistrano, CA
|
|
|
Thanks for the excellent job that you guys did on my history assignment and my bio research paper. I never could have done this on my own. |
Sylvia B.
Lakeview, MA
|
|
|
Your writers did an excellent job writing my four papers last semester. I don’t think I could have possibly made it through the semester without any help of EssaysEmpire.com. I deeply appreciate the help |
Celeste H.
San Francisco, CA
|
|
|
EssaysEmpire.com always gives me a plagiarism report to prove that the work they wrote for me is authentic. I appreciate this. It helps eliminate worry. |
Beverly S.
Cambridge, MA
|
|
|
I appreciate the help your wring service gave me with my biology paper. I have never cared much for biology. It is a tough subject for me to grasp. This is why I needed so much help with my paper. The writer absolutely understood the whole topic and turned out work that would have made anyone proud. Thanks a million for the great paper. |
Josef H.
Houston, TX
|
|
|
The topic for my assigned essay was very intense. It involved a lot of research and knowledge of the subject. The writer who took care of it for me seemed to be a real expert. I found that so impressive! I just had to drop a line to let you know how much I appreciated the work he did. |
Grace T.
Purcell, OK
|
|
|
Thank you for assuring that only the best writers work for you. It doesn’t matter which writer has been assigned to my projects since I started using your services. Every time I get a paper written, it is perfect. |
Glen M.
Oakland, CA
|
|
|
Your writers are awesome! I got an A and two A+’s on the papers that they wrote 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! |
Stephanie K.
Stowe, VT
|
|
|
Dear Sirs: Just a quick note to let you know that I appreciate your working on my paper so quickly. I did get it in time to turn it in for the deadline, even though I hadn’t given you much notice. I made a very good grade on it and was much relieved. Thanks again. You rock. |
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! |
Hannah B.
Tulsa, OK
|
|
|
I am happy. I am happy because I got an A+ on my research paper. I did this by hiring the professional writers at EssaysEmpire.com to write it for me. It was everything I had hoped it would be. Thanks, EssaysEmpire.com! |
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 |
Pierre W.
Memphis, TN
|
|
|
There are four things that I look for in a good writing service. #1. They have to be fast. A good writing service won’t miss an important deadline. #2. A good writing service will let customers actually talk to the writer who is working on their customer’s papers, so the customer can work out important details. #3. A good writing service will have a user-friendly website that is easy for the customer to use and #4, a good writing service will offer quality guarantees. EssaysEmpire.com meets all of this criteria and more. EssaysEmpire.com is the best writing service and has the reputation to prove it. I wouldn’t even consider using another writing service since experiencing the excellence that is EssaysEmpire.com! |
Benjamin P.
Beaumont, TX
|
|
|
Thank you for your diligence! Your writers got it right down to the last word! I appreciate how closely they paid attention. |
Willow P.
Park City, UT
|
|
|
You guys do top-notch work. Time after time, I have had to rely on your help and I can say honestly that you have never let me down. Thank you so much for coming through for me every time. I am not a good writer. I try. I study hard, but when I need help, you are always there to give it to me at an affordable price. |
Bruce R.
Tulsa, OK
|
|
|
Thanks for everything. You guys know how to write so well! I will call on you again in the future. |
Anne A.
Cambridge, MA
|
|
|
You dudes are awesome! Wow! I can’t believe I got an A+ on my paper! At best, I expected a B or C! |
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. |
Melissa C.
Rochester, NY
|
|
|
I am completely satisfied with the paper I purchased from your company. I only wish I had known about you last year when I took an F grade for not being able to complete a paper on time. The work you did was marvelous. Whenever I find myself falling behind in my school work, I will be sure to pass along some of my more difficult written assignments to you |