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Javier Flores Jiménez

Professor Carolina González

LM-1352 Rhetoric I

6 June 2013

The Approaching End

Some say that there is a connection between clothing colors and personality. I still

remember when a professor of psychology told me that I do not have a distinct

personality based on the fact that I have not favorite colors. Even though that was a fuzzy

or vague description of my personality, her theory about colors is a fair manner of

describing someone in a few words. To illustrate this, colors such as white, black or blue

can symbolize a confrontation of moods, happiness and sadness. The same analysis of

symbolism can be employed in “Hills like White Elephants”. At simple glance, for some

readers “Hills like White Elephants” is a shallow discussion between a couple; nonetheless

the meaningful content of this story relies on symbols that enrich the conversation

between the man and Jig. “Hills like White Elephants” is a short story written by Ernest

Hermingway included in the book The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hermingway

published in 1987. The story begins when the man and Jig were waiting in a bar located in

the Ebro Valley in Spain for the train to come. Then, the couple started to drink Anis del

Toro, an alcoholic drink. While they were talking, the conversation leaded them to an

uncomfortable topic that neither the man nor Jig wanted to develop more in depth. At the

end, the express was near to come and the man carried the couple`s luggages to the track

as a sign of departure. However, certain signs and dialogues during the story make evident
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that the theme that Ernest Hermingway tries to convey in his literary work is abortion, as

well as the indecision to perform the procedure by the couple. In “Hills like White

Elephants” is depicted how common objects used as metaphors can turn harsher than

words.

Even though an alcoholic drink, a table and a train seem to be simple objects

mentioned throughout the story to enhance the realism of the setting, these three

symbols play an important role during the development of the couple’s conversation. First

of all, the alcoholic drinks reveal the true feelings of the characters. While the couple was

drinking Anis del Toro, the dialogue between them took a harsh connotation showing

their intentions. The couple constantly asks the barmaid to bring Anis del Toro bottles.

‘They’re lovely hills,’ she said. ‘They don’t really look like white elephants. I just

meant the coloring of their skin through the trees.’ ‘Should we have another

drink?’ ‘All right’. (Hermingway n.p.)

As the quote illustrates, the alcoholic beverage made the couple show what they really

meant as the conversation went on. Additionally, the man is reluctant to follow the

conversation because of self-interest, and for that reason he asked Jig to continue

drinking. In the same manner, the table represents the man’s flat mood and intentions.

This table, which they were sitting at, is mentioned repeatedly throughout the story as the

counterpart of the colorful landscape Jig was beholding. “They sat down at the table and

the girl looked across at the hills on the dry side of the valley and the man looked at her

and at the table.” (Hermingway n.p.) This quote reflects that the constant representation

of the table is one aspect that might be linked to the man’s futile communication and
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apathy towards Jig. In other words, while Jig was staring at the hills trying to come to a

decision, the man put in evidence his hollows intentions for the future of their

relationship. Likewise, another important symbol presented in “Hills like White

Elephants” is the train on the way that symbolizes the approaching couple’s departure and

uncertain future. For that reason, the express from Barcelona can be seen either as the

couple’s departure to undergo abortion, or the definite rupture of their relationship.

The woman came out through the curtains with two glasses of beer and put them

down on the damp felt pads. ‘The train comes in five minutes,’ she said. ‘What did

she say?’ asked the girl. ‘That the train is coming in five minutes.’ The girl smiled

brightly at the woman, to thank her. (Hermingway n.p.)

Before the barmaid reminded the couple the train is coming, the man and Jig were

arguing on whether or not to take the train in order to carry out the abortion. This

indecision leads to an uncertain end to the story. The symbols previously mentioned

provide the readers hints to better understand the characters’ behavior and serve as a

supplement to the setting.

To wrap up, the insertion of these symbols makes readers to put emphasis not only

on character’s dialogue, but also on external factors that might lead to different subjective

meanings. The presence of Anis del Toro beverage over the course of this short story

affects the path of the conversation little by little. On the other hand, the flat and lifeless

table is the reflection of the man’s inner affection towards Jig’s future health. The

approaching train is the final element that signs the forthcoming decision that Jig has to

take in order to continue beside the man she loves or take a new direction in her life. At
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first sight, the conversation intended in the text may turn confusing, and even worse,

pointless because of the constant usage of metaphors . Nevertheless, readers can interpret

the story in different manners, and this feature is what makes “Hills like White Elephants”

interesting, the large amount of subjective meanings that can be obtained from it. Also, it

is equally important to highlight that the situation described in this literary work is no

detached of our reality, in which a chauvinist behavior is clearly attempting not only

against woman’s right of giving birth, but also against the right to life. At this point, the

value of symbolism is the key characteristic that this short story presents, so it is quite

accurate to employ a somewhat tweaked saying “a symbol worth a thousand words.”

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: The Finca Vigía

Edition. New York: Scribner, 1987. Print.