VALENZUELA

Ricardo Valenzuela

Solange Pardo

Written Communication 4 Section 6A

1 December 2021

HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS: HEMINGWAY AND HIS SYMBOLS. A TRUE

VISIONARY

“If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit

things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a

feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of

movement of an ice-berg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. A writer

who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his

writing” (Hemingway 16). According to what Hemingway says here, what is relevant

regarding the theory of omission or iceberg theory lies in the fact that there are the small

details the important things in a story, and in this case, the author makes omissions for

the reader make their own conclusion. In a few words, Hemingway's world is presented

to us in this story as the one that is generated between the man and the woman who are

estranged, and during the course of this story details emerge that one can understand by

following the iceberg theory. With Hemingway's writing there is a before and an after :

“The quote encapsulates the American author’s writing style, known for its understated

simplicity, economy of words and eschewal of overly descriptive language. It contrasts

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with the florid and tortuous prose of many writers of English literature of previous

centuries, as well as some of Hemingway’s contemporaries”. His writing includes

details that we will be able to realize in this work that in one way or another make up a

particular story, which denote the current relationship of these characters It is clear that

the man would like the woman to have an operation, "It's really an awfully simple

operation, Jig," the man said. "It's not really an operation at all.". Also, he never

mentions the woman’s health, so we can assume that the operation is not something to

cure a disease. She also frequently says that she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to,

indicating that she is describing an elective procedure. Also, we notice that Hemingway

is ahead of his time by mentioning a topic of conversation such as abortion, and the

emotional meaning and as a society, a taboo topic, which in one way or another puts

him at the center of the discussion with his prose in sentences when the man says "just

to let the air in", which involves abortion rather than any other optional procedure.

Likewise, the woman asks the man what his position on the matter is, and the man

expresses his position, which also has a meaning very much in the style of Hemingway,

"And you think then we'll be all right and be happy.", that if it has something to say with

it is a reference to the man, with those phrases they suggest that it would be a

pregnancy, because they are typical words that deal with the situation that the woman is

pregnant.The man is clear when saying that he does not want anyone which makes it

clear that there will be "someone else" unless the woman has surgery.

The symbol of the white elephants emphasizes the theme of the story. “Whiteness is

regarded as a sign of purity in this context. The white elephant has an important

meaning in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduist thought, the white elephant is

related to the God Indra who is also a guardian deity in Buddhism. His elephant can also

fly and it is called ‘Airavata’.” (Pakditawan, Sirinya). The white elephant was

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considered sacred, it was an honor. However, keeping the elephant would be so

expensive that it would ruin the recipient.” The white elephant is considered the most

sacred animal, revered for more than 5,000 years and a symbol of Thai royalty that

represents the prosperity of the country. Also in Buddhism it has played a fundamental

role, according to legend a beautiful princess named Maya dreamed that a white

elephant with six tusks entered her body, engendering the Buddha himself. ( El elefante

en Tailandia). A white elephant is a rare and sacred mammal in Thailand. But, apart

from that and in general terms, it is also the name given to possessions that provide less

benefits than what it costs to maintain them. Although its definition is broad and can

also be applied to the western world, the appearance of white elephants in developing

countries is frequent due to the problems that we have mentioned before. Thus, from the

governments and certain NGOs of the first world something is planted there that later

causes more problems than joys, because it adapts little or nothing to the economic,

social and environmental reality of the recipient country. (Fandiño, M).Well, I conclude

that pregnancy would be the birth of a baby that would bring misfortunes and could be

the definitive distancing of the couple. Likewise, the female character comments that

the hills look like white elephants, we can think that she refers to the feminine because

of the shape of the hills similar to the breasts and the abdomen, the female figure. Also,

the landscape, its contrast, is other important element to mention, the contrast between

the dry and arid landscape where they are, with the river, the trees and the hills on the

other side, shows us the current situation between them before the "abortion". Life is

full of contrasts and Hemingway expresses it this way in his writing, as he has also

expressed in other of his works "The Old Man and the Sea", and within these contrasts

his oscillating characters move. "Up there, by the road, in his cabin, the old man was

sleeping again. He was still sleeping on his face and the boy was sitting next to him

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watching him. The old man was dreaming of the sea lions." ( Hemingway 69)."He saw

the phosphorescence of the sargassum in the water while he rowed over that part of the

ocean that the fishermen call the great hole because there was a sudden gully of seven

hundred fathoms, where all kinds of fish congregated due to the eddy that made the

current against the waves. rugged walls of the ocean floor. " (Hemingway 13).Also,

exists a lot of phrases in this story very interesting that show us the contrasts, for

example : when the woman comments that the hills look like white elephants, the man

says that he has never seen one. She responds, "No, you wouldn't have." If the hills

represent female fertility and pregnancy, she could be suggesting that he is not the type

of person who would ever have a child. In another part of the dialogue, although the

man tries to downplay the matter by setting other people as an example, the woman

knows that she is not what he says and she demonstrates it with irony: "And then

everyone was so happy."With the repetition in the phrase "would you please please

please please shut your mouth?" The exasperation of the protagonist is revealed, that

she seems to have realized the manipulation of the man. She also seems to have given

up hope at her insistence.In the final sentence: "I feel very good," she said. Nothing is

wrong with me. I feel very good”, The protagonist expresses something that seems to be

the opposite of her real feelings or even the tranquility of having made a decision. The

author leaves this question about the final decision of the woman so that the reader can

make his own interpretation of her (Hemingway). This author and his legacy, a way of

writing so particular, advanced for its time, and never compared, that with little much is

written, encrypted language, in most of his novels.

Therefore, I mean by these mentioned examples, this author does not speak of woman's

health, less abortion, but forces the reader to take a position, he doesn´t talk about the

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woman's health, less about abortion, but it forces the reader to take a position, but the

only thing that is more concrete is the feeling that the male character feels for her when

expressing that he promises to be with her all the time and that after "this" they will be

happy. Small details that the author, can be express in this story, his theory (iceberg),

one of a kind, and very different all others authors, a true visionary in his time, simply

Hemingway.

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Works Cited

“El elefante en Tailandia”.Descubre Tailandia.com. 20.11.2017 Web 1.12.2021

Fandiño, M . “¿Qué es un elefante blanco?” Empresa y economía.15.06.2010. Web

30.11.2021

Hemingway, Ernest. Death in the Afternoon. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1960.
Print.

Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. The Norton Introduction to Literature.
Kelly J. Mays,W. W. Norton, 2017.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. The Norton Introduction to Literature.
Kelly J. Mays,W. W. Norton, 2017.

Pakditawan, Sirinya. “White elephant in Thai culture, highly auspicious and symbols of
royalpower”, The Phuket News Tv,Sunday 12.11.2017. Web 30.11.2021

“The art of omission: Hemingway’s iceberg theory and PR”. Triangle Pr. Triangle Pr
Publisher. 3.09.2020. Web 30.11.2021

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Comments

Score 3 2.5 2 1.5 1

Introduction Hook The beginning The There is a There is a There is no

grabs the beginning beginning, beginning, but it attention-getter
reader, and somewhat but it doesn't is not related to
gives clues as grabs the really grab the topic or it is
to what is reader, and the interest not well
coming. gives some of the integrated into
clue as to reader. the paragraph.
3 what is
coming.

Background Background Background Background Background Background

information information is information is information information does information is
relevant and mostly presents not support or insufficient
informative. relevant and irrelevant lead up to the and/or
Key ideas are informative. information main idea unclear.
clear. Key ideas are and some
somewhat key ideas
clear. are not
clear.

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2.5

Thesis The overall The The There is no Thesis is

statement statement is statement statement is distinguishable missing.
clear and establishes present but thesis. The
concise. It the main idea, does not essay begins
states the but it may be effectively without a clear
author's opinion slightly introduce statement of its
and position on unclear or the key argument or
the issue. The disconnected argument. It purpose.
reader knows to the rest of is vague
exactly what the and does
the essay will paragraph. not clearly
be about and establish the
how the writer 2.5 key
will write about argument or
it. focus of the
essay.

Language Grammar & Virtually free Occasional Some Distracting Errors are so
Proofreading from minor errors significant errors are distracting
grammatical, exist but they errors are present that the
mechanical and do not detract present although the meaning of
spelling errors. from the although the meaning can the work is
mainly high overall still be unclear.
quality of the meaning is understood.
work. still clear.

2.5

Vocabulary Authors use Authors use Authors use Authors use a Authors use a
vivid words and vivid words words that good but simple limited range
phrases. The and phrases. communicate range of of vocabulary.
choice and The choice clearly, but vocabulary Its simplicity
placement of and the writing which may detracts from
words seems placement of lacks variety. obscure the the meaning.
accurate, words may be message at
natural, and not inaccurate at times.
forced. times and/or
seems
overdone.

2.5

Coherence Well-structured Most Authors Authors show There is

& Cohesion sentence-level sentences show a few some cohesion neither
cohesion and and ideas are cohesion and coherence cohesion nor
coherence. well- and problems. Most coherence in
Ideas are structured coherence of the sentences the text. Ideas
logically and follow a problems, do not follow a are
sequenced and logical yet, this logical completely
well-connected. sequence does not sequence or unconnected.
obscure the structure.
text.

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2.5.

Formal Task Authors meet Authors meet Authors meet Authors meet Authors do
aspects achievement all the most of the some of the just a few not meet any
requirements of requirements requirements requirements of of the
the task. of the task of the task. the task. requirements
of the task
2

Source Sources are Most sources Some Few sources are Sources are
Selection highly relevant are relevant sources are relevant and are NOT relevant
and are from and are from relevant and from credible, to the topic
credible, credible, from scholarly and are from
scholarly scholarly credible, materials. credible,
materials. materials scholarly scholarly
materials. Substantial materials.
3 additional Extensive
research will be additional
required. research is
required.

Citations All sources are Most sources Some sources Few sources are Very few
format accompanied are are accompanied by sources are
by citations that accompanied accompanied citations that are accompanied
are complete by citations by citations complete and by citations
and correct that are that are correct under that are
under the complete and complete and the chosen style complete and
chosen style correct under correct under manual. correct under
manual. the chosen the chosen the chosen
style manual style manual. style manual.

Outline Outline fully Outline Some signs Outline is Unclear

and clearly mostly of logical incomplete organization
supports thesis supports organization and/or OR outline
& purpose. thesis and of outline. ineffective to organization
purpose. May have support thesis is
illogical & and purpose. inappropriate
ineffective to thesis.
ideas.
1

Total: 23.5
/32

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