Ernest Hemingway's Iceberg Theory Essay

“If it is any use to know it, I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eighths of it underwater for every part that shows.” Ernest Hemingway is known for using this unique style of writing, in which he presents the story in a way that something as simple as the scenery conceals a deeper meaning. Hemingway’s famous short stories “A Canary for One” and “Hills Like White Elephants” are two perfect examples that display Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory at it’s best. To begin, “A Canary for One” is one of Hemingway’s short stories that beautifully demonstrates the Iceberg Theory. There are many things in the story that are not directly told to the reader. Hemingway brilliantly uses his style of writing to lead the audience …show more content…
Similarly to “A Canary for One”, many things in the story are not directly told to the reader. Hemingway uses his incredible writing style to help the audience determine that the operation is referring to an abortion, without ever using the word. For example, at the train station the man orders two drinks for him and the woman, Jig. Jig takes a sip and states that the drink, like everything else, tastes like licorice. The man’s response is “Oh, cut it out”(274), implying that the “operation” being discussed throughout the story is an abortion. Furthermore, Jig’s view when she walks to the end of the station represents the separate opinions on the abortion. She sees fields of grain, trees along the river’s banks, and mountains beyond the river, all of which represents life, having the baby, and raising the child. She also sees a dark cloud over the field and the trees obscuring her view of the river. This represents what the man desires and his attempt to persuade her to get the abortion, which is hanging over her like a stormy cloud. Again, Hemingway ingeniously uses his Iceberg Theory style of writing to disguise a darker, deeper meaning in his