Hills Like Wild Epephants

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RESPONSE TO HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS This essay is in response to Ernest Hemingway’s short story, Hills Like White Elephants. Earnest Hemmingway (1899-1961), was an American Author with enormous talents. Hemingway's direct and deceptively simple style is what made him one of the greatest American writers of the 21th century. In "The Art of the Short Story" Hemingway said, "A few things I have found to be true. If you leave out important things or events that you know about, the story is strengthened (Samuelson). The Hills Like White Elephants is one of Hemingway’s master pieces and a classic example of his distinct and revolutionary storytelling style. The short story Hills Like White Elephants, exhibits Hemingway’s unique yet simplistic style of writing, for which he is known. I like the way he communicates the story not only through text, but through symbolism. I believe this is perhaps one of Hemingway’s most symbolic stories. He has skillfully used inference and illusion to present diverse viewpoints of the American and the Jig who are having a difficult time communicating with each other. The entire story is about a conversation between a man and a girl regarding the decision of abortion; though the word abortion is never used in the story. It’s only through symbolism that the reader is able to recognize what the American and the Jig are talking about. Hemingway sets the stage from the very beginning and uses symbolic objects to express the dilemma the young girl is faced with. You can tell the girl is troubled and begins to question herself if having an abortion would be the right thing to do. On the other hand you have the American that has already made up his mind and he wants her to go through with it. There are opposing views throughout the entire story, either for or against. They only have two choices, and each one will take them in two
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