Hills Like White Elephant By Ernest Hemingway Symbolism Analysis

Ernest Hemingway is perhaps considered one of the greatest innovators of the 20th-century fiction. "Hills Like White Elephants" from the 1927 collection Men Without Women is one of the most famous American short stories ever composed by Hemingway, one of America’s most famous authors. This story focuses on a conversation between an American man and a woman, Jig, at a Spanish train station while waiting for a train to Madrid. The pair engages in an intense discussion about an "operation" which the man wants the woman to have. The reader can imply that this operation is an abortion. A restaurant in the vicinity of the station is the location where Jig and the man wait for the train. A bamboo-bead curtain lies in the bar where the couple converse.
He integrates these images and symbols smoothly into the literal level of the story. This integration of symbolic images is evident in all of Hemingway's works. Symbolism of the bamboo-bead curtain can be seen in the fact that it hangs across the open door into the bar. And in itself, the curtain suggests Spanish art or craft. An element of Spanish culture is adding to the atmosphere of the story. This benefits the curtain by making a comment on advertisement and communication. It also pays homage to the sport of bullfighting, which deeply fascinated Hemingway. A tribute to the other pastime that so captivated him, drinking, can also be taken from this short story. Anis del Toro, which directly translates to booze of the bull, is painted on the curtain. This creates a deep addition to the symbolism of the beaded curtain. Nilofer Hashmi deeply examines this symbolism here and states, “As we know from Hemingway’s A Sun Also Rises, Americans are often in Spain for the bullfighting. It’s a major industry and part of Spain’s draw as a tourist destination. It’s only natural that a train station bar would advertise a drink that advertises bullfighting and appeals to people attracted to the sport”. Jig being unable to notice an recognize that toro means bull is unlikely and highly doubtful. Jig ties this symbol into their personal relationship by pointing this out, very much like how she does with the hills in the distance. Nilofer continues in his breakdown, “As we know from The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway's male characters that were in Spain for the bullfights weren't exactly inclined to get married and have children. If the man is anything like these other Hemingway characters, it seems unlikely that he would give Jig the kind of life she seems to want. If the man is a bullfighting aficionado, then for Jig the bull might represent a major obstacle to her wishes” It seems this isolated,