Hills Like White Elephants

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Erica Grisham Monteith English 1123 06 April 2011 Parlez, Sprechen, Speak! Language can be defined in a very simple context or can be viewed as something extremely complex when it comes to a work of literature. The variety of styles of language use is endless when writing. In “Hills Like White Elephants”, Earnest Hemmingway uses a variety of styles of language such as formal, informal, dialect, sensory imagery, and symbolism to reveal the underlying conflict between his two young characters. Hemingway portrays both of his characters in several different ways by simply modifying each characters dialect and language use towards each other and when speaking about their surroundings. “’They look like white elephants,’ she said. “I’ve never seen one,” the man drank his beer “No, you wouldn’t have,”’ (223). Formal dialect takes place throughout the story when the young women and young man speak to each other casually or in some cases very sternly. The young couple chats about things like liquor, weather, and hills without any sign of tension or confusion. “You’ve got to realize,” he said, “that I don’t want you to do it if it means anything to do.” (226). In other cases, the young couple uses phrases and words that are indirectly linked to their conflict. Neither the young man nor the young women directly state what they are speaking about when referring to “it” and what they are going to “do”. Conversation is something people participate in on a regular basis. When speaking many things can affect the actual meaning of the worlds that a person is using such as tone, vocabulary selection, pitch and pace. The young man in the story seems to be the dominant voice in the relationship with his swift words and confident tone. “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,” the man said. “It’s not really anything. It’s just to let the air in.” (224). The young women

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