Hills like white elephants

• Short story by Ernest Hemingway, Published in 1927, in the collection Men without Women.
• Often studied in literature classes for its brief but rich and powerful content.
• Iceberg theory. Minimalist style.
• The story of a hedonistic couple waiting for a train somewhere in Spain, drinking alcohol and debating on some sort of operation.

• Recurring theme:

1. Alcohol. Jig tries a new drink, could symbolize her interest in doing something new, new experiences, new relationship.
2. Abortion: although implicit, really important theme
3. Relationship: distance between the characters.

• Symbolism

1. Jig: Slang for sex.
2. Hills like white elephants: refers to the abortion for the woman, and the baby for the man. Something not worth the trouble.
3. Two: bags, drinks, pens, tracks, pads, people… 3 is a crowd.
4. A hedonist couple: that the couple has—or uses to have hedonistic values and that it no longer satisfies Jig as she claims that everything new she tries and dreamt of trying tastes like licorice.