I/ Context:

Hemingway, Ernest Miller was born in 1899 and died in 1961. He was a well-known American
novelist and short- story writer. His writings and personal life exerted a profound influence on
American writers of his life. He spent an adventurous life. He traveled to many countries, so his
writings were vivid and practical. Hills like white elephants was published in 1927. The story
was at a train station in rural Spain.
II/ Text
The genre is vignette. This story tells us that
The couple is waiting for the express train from Barcelona to travel to Madrid. In a small
station bar, while they order a new drinks, the young woman looks at the hills across the valley
of the Ebro and talks to the man about these hill, new drinks, and the man mentions a simple
operation that she will have. Maybe, he tries to persuade her of abortion in his words perfectly
natural, let the air in, perfectly simple. Also, he draws the picture of the coming journey they
will spend. Through the dialogue, she will do this because of his wish although she doesnt like it
at all. There is a drastic struggle in her thought to make decision of the unborn child or her lover.
With his sweet words of love and promises of pleasures in the next travels, she lets his decision
or wish. In short, their life is temporary and aimless. This is a typical lifestyle of some American
youth love in hurry and live in craziness
Point of view: the third person
An unnamed American man and a young woman , his lover.
Tones: Objective, ironic, logical

III/ Subtext:
+ Theme:
The description of the nature beauty of one side hill sun, mountain, river, trees is a nature law
of survival. It implies that the young woman wishes a stable family life including husband and
children. In addition, she does not want to be independent of the man who decides her fate and
an unborn childs fate.
+ Symbol

The dry hill symbolizes obstacles the couple has to face up with.
Two heavy bags, two new drinks, two signify that the couple is pursuing an ephemeral life.
Beads, hills like elephants are the symbol of kids
+ What is left unsaid
The young couple continues to plunge into a new journey without purpose.