Literary Analysis: Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants

Ernest Hemingways short story Hills like White Elephants depicts a join, the man and the fille, casual colloquy over drinks while awaiting the comer of a train to Madrid. The story ends, as vaguely as it started, with the two about to embark on the train. Heminwayss use of ambiguous and vague language, dialogue, characterization, and metaphors in Hills like White Elephants could leave his readers bewildered to the underlying subject matter of its plot.However, by properly citing and analyzing the literary techniques used by Hemingway one is able to reason out that the main characters discuss their feelings and concerns about the possibility of an abortion. Throughout the short story Hills like White Elephants, Hemingway has chosen to address his main characters as the man and the girl. By patterning these words in addressing his main characters, Hemingway alludes to their difference in age and emotional maturity towards the conflict that they face.Hemingway, to suggest the female characters young age and her naivety about an abortion, uses the word girl. The reader is able to confirm that Hemingway does not conceder all females to be girls through the introduction the secondary character, the waitress, who brings the couple their drinks. Hemingway then continues to address this secondary as the woman and thus, alluding the word girl only if refers to the young and naive character of Jig.On the other hand, Hemingways exercise of the word man, in referring to his male character, indicates a more mature and realistic view the character has on the idea of an abortion as a solution to the unwanted pregnancy. The metaphor employed by Hemingway to allude towards an abortion can be found in paragraph 46, where the man explains to the girl that the surgery will simply let the air in and then its all perfectly natural. (p. 445). The male character then ambiguously refers to his feelings to the pregnancy as, the only thing that bothers us.Its the only thing thats made us unhappy. (p. 445). An earlier allusion to the differences between the main characters, and how each will respond to their conflict, has been conveyed through their conversation found in paragraphs 17-32. The dialogue by, and associated with, the man is confidante, assuring, tentative, and slightly condescending towards the girl. Likewise, the dialogue in paragraphs 17-32 connected with the girl is uncertain, passive aggressive, childlike, and earnestly striving for her partner in crimes guidance.Ernest Hemingways short story Hills like White Elephants depicts a young couple in the mist of an uncomfortable conversation regarding their choice of swear out towards an unwanted pregnancy. Though the subject of an abortion is not directly addressed, in Hills like White Elephants, Hemingway uses ambiguous metaphors, vague dialogue, and generalized characters help him to set musical mode between his two main characters. The readers understanding and ability to recognize the usa ge of literary tools by Hemingway is the key to decode this hazy plot.