hills like whit elephants

Response Paper: “Hills Like White Elephants” Hemingway’s way of writing is to make his readers think outside the box and to make them go back and figure out why and how certain situations occur. The Hills Like White Elephants symbolizes the lives of Jig and the American, where they’ve been and where they’re going. What the future holds for them if they do keep the baby and what will happen if they don’t. He talks about how the hills in the story predicts her decision, how Jig sees the setting of the story as a helping hand, and how she cant do anything to save her relationship with the man. “The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails and the sun.” (Hemingway 212). The author explains one side of the hill is full of life, which signifies the decision Jig has to make. If she doesn’t go through with the operation she and the man could have everything, because the baby would be their world. On the other hand Hemingway describes the other side to of the hill as to be dry with no trees and very hot; which symbolizes how their lives would be like if Jig decides on having an abortion. Their lives wouldn’t be the same, the burden of an operation like that is heavy. They wouldn’t be happy, the guilt of the abortion would make them miserable and despise one another. Jig sees the hills as life and death. Each side represents an outcome to a difficult decision. “They look like white elephants.” (Hemingway 212). The white elephants represents the baby, the man sees the baby as a burden and doesn’t want to take care of it, because of all the cost and responsibilities; while Jig sees the baby as an incredible change to her life of drinking and always traveling. Hills Like White Elephants shows Hemingway’s way of sending a message through a short story. As the story goes on the word abortion is never said or even implied, however the American seems to be convincing