Hills like White Elephant

Imagine, you’re waiting at a railway station but having an eternal conflict whether to get

in the train that will take you to the land of your dreams or the one that goes to the country of

sacrifice. Actually you want to live your dream. You want to go in that way but your partner are

standing in the opposite way. You have to choose only one way. The protagonist of the fiction

“Hills like White Elephant”- Jig, experienced similar distress while trying to get to the right

conclusion. This fiction is written by Ernest. Hemingway, the author applies conversation to link

the setting and the symbols of the fiction. This paper is going to discuss about the setting and

symbols of the story.

Firstly, Jig and the unnamed man are waiting at a Spanish railway station which is

located in a desolate region between Barcelona and Madrid. Though their connection of physical

journey began from Barcelona. Jig became pregnant there with that man. Their shallow

relationship is going to experience a new journey from this station. Here the setting and

symbolism are connected. As the location of the station symbolizes the midpoint of their relation.

The relationship between them came to such a situation that it can apart their path anytime. One

path is to move ahead with the upcoming baby another one is to about the baby and live the life

that Jig has dreamt of. As the station is located at the middle of Barcelona and Madrid.

Moreover, the station symbolizes time as in their relation there is a very important time to take a

very important decision of their life. In addition as a train can go only one way. Likewise, in the

story while illustrating the setting Hemingway says “The station was between two lines or rails

in the sun.” Which symbolizes the idea of accompanying each other.

 Secondly, the story opens with a brief description of the location and environment

surrounding the train station. The couple is at somewhere in between dry hills and vibrant green

trees in the Ebro river valley of Spain on a hot, sunny day. Here, the imaginary location is as

symbols. There is no shade and no trees. The desolate region and the dry environment represent

the dry leaves of the plant of their love. For example, there relationship is also facing the dryness

of relation between them as Jig does not want to live a listless life rather she always focused on

her dreams, passion a life with fertility. She talks about the hills in a metaphorical manner “I said

the mountains looked like white elephants” to convince the man to let her keep the baby. Here,

the setting represent that there relationship and her possibility of being mother both are covered

by dust. Moreover, due to the bright Sun, the hills in distance appear as though they are white in

color and shape as elephants but Jig immediately adds “they don’t really look like white

elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the tree”, here ‘the white elephants’ is

the unborn child and Jig is imagine how beautiful life would be if he accepts the baby but her

imagination shatters as soon as her boyfriend says “should we have another drink?” to avoid ‘the

white elephants’ which seems to be the biggest issue that is bothering him and probably the

reason why they are traveling to Madrid.

Finally, Jig and the American guy are in a Spanish bar talking in English drinking alcohol

behind a bamboo curtain. The setting shows that the couple is going through a very complex

situation. Firstly, the bar is decorated with “a curtain made of strings of bamboo beads hung

across the open door into the bar to keep out files.” What is the real purpose of having a curtain

in a room? Generally, we install curtains to keep something under cover by resisting the light

coming from outside and to provide privacy. If the bamboo curtain is judged by the outward

appearance it shows that it is installed to separate the tables and to give privacy but Hemingway
uses a bar that has a curtain as a part of setting to symbolize the main issue the couple is

confronting, the unintentional pregnancy. The curtain is shown to work to apart their belief

between them. Secondly, an advertisement of an alcoholic drink named Anis del Toro is

illustrated on ‘the curtain’ which works as a source of distraction for the couple. They make light

of her pregnancy as the gradually become intoxicated. Jig enjoys the drinks without any

hesitation and tried the new drink because she has never had it before. When the man asks her

weather she would prefer it with water Jig replies “I don’t know. Is it good with water” it

represents her innocence and decency.

To conclude, the uses of setting are very signifying to clarify the vague idea in a

remarkable way to create a significant meaning through symbols by conversation in the fiction.

“Hill like White Elephant.” The fraught relationship between Barcelona and Madrid. They are

going to make a direction like a train. The decision is so complex for Jig as if she wants to go in

the way of her dreams. She has to abort the baby and leave the American man. Whether if she

chooses the baby she is going to leave the life of her own dreams, passion.