Student’s name
Tutor’s name
Course
Date
Analyzing Communication and Conflict in Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants
In “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway skillfully engages the reader through minimalist dialogue, symbols and an emblematic locale to unravel the multifaceted nature of communication within a relationship that is faced with a crucial choice. The plot is unfolding by means of a compelling conversation between a couple, the American and Jig, where they talk about an abortion that they have never both accompanied before and has never been mentioned as they develop their relationship. A way of Hemingway’s minimalist dialogue is that readers are allowed to discover and get a sense of intense contradictions through the character’s gestures as well as unspoken words. It is clearer than by direct phrases. Allogeneic details such as the environment and the title “the white elephants” contribute to the tapestry of this story, making it deeply nuanced and expressive in portraying the characters’ inner turmoils and relationships. These literary devices help Hemingway dive into the specifics of how communication—or its absence—affects relationships at its core, emphasizing it as a thing that sits at the core of people’s interactions expressed in a simple and concise manner.
Dialogue is indeed the main way through which Hemingway depicts and emphasizes the contraction and displacement of the American and Jig’s connection. The conversations are terse, and the setting is loaded with a hint which indicates the characters’ helplessness and evil from the core. Hence, for instance, when Jig tries to make a sarcastic remark and says, “But these hills, they look like white elephants!” she is not only making an observation but something beyond that (Hemingway 21). The American’s response, which doesn’t make the allusion, shows his inability to see it from another angle, and both of them can’t create harmony in their communication. This mode of dialogue that is frequently omitted is the deepest thing of Hemingway, which depicts that sometimes what is not discussed reveals a lot of aspects of our daily lives. The conflicting attitudes of the parents and their hesitance to frankly declare their sentiments and abortion shows a much wider concept that poor communication may result in isolation and unresolved disputes in a relationship.
The symbolism of “Hills Like White Elephants” is like layers of onion; every layer provides a solution and hurdle of emotions and the relationship link between the two characters. The white elephant is the major symbol that pretty much gives away the story. This elephant represents the pregnancy that Janie is carrying. It may appear as a being of inflated independence and grace. Still, behind the curtain, it represents two-sided images of feeling impeded by limits and riddled with the pressure of choice (Hemingway). Through the contrasting sides of the barren and fertile landscape around the train station, the author illustrates the stark differences between the standpoints of characters upon abortion. As a result, those characters’ lives after the events also contrast. Jig’s thoughts on flowers and the fertile side of the land could show her desire for motherhood and a more stable life. In contrast, American thinks only about dried plants and pines, which suggests his desire to continue their unbounded and independent travelling (Hemingway. This environmental symbolism not only helps to strengthen the core theme of communication and incompatibility but also enhances the reader’s awareness of each person’s emotional and psychological aspects separately.
Although the plot of “Hills Like White Elephants” is central to the subject of the story, the setting of the story is enhanced to drive home the themes in the story. Train stations, as depicted here, symbolize transitions, thus portraying the critical moment this couple is experiencing in the choice of pregnancy. This crossing between poles, as the characters cannot decide whether to keep it going or give it up, is also reflected in their relationship (Hemingway. The setting is cold, and spacy with a brutal Spanish sun, and the background is a place where the pieces, without thinking, go in for the attack and, very awkwardly and reluctantly, the issues confronting the characters. Moreover, the symbolic train tracks forcing a separation indicate the possible divergent paths that the couple could follow after their conversation. It is not the scene itself but the silent judge of the narrative, which reflects the key themes of the story through the spaces of division, choice, and being caught in the middle.
In conclusion, through literary elements such as dialogue, symbolism, and settings, Ernest Hemingway’s “White Elephant Hills” highlights how communication can utterly transform relationships. Every element is given close attention to fiddling with a theme of what unexpressed words and emotional discontinuity can result in and drive the tension and desire of individuals apart. Through such a story, Hemingway’s work reminds us that the expression of unspoken words can sometimes tell even more than the words uttered. Such a plot inspires readers to consider what we don’t express in communication and how much impact such implicit information may exert on our personal ties.
Works Cited
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills like white elephants. Open Road Media, 2023.