Hills Like White Elephants

1-What is important about what is not being said in the story?

Sometime, we read stories that hide many things, and we cannot understand it through of the reading only. Hemingway is one of the many writers that follow Iceberg theory. He stripped the story (Hills Like White Elephants) from everything but the basic things. However, he lurks many things under this text.

Of course, there is importance about what is not being said in the story. The first one, it helps the reader to analysis and think about the story. Also, it helps the readers to share in the story through of events. Also that, it makes the story interesting and motivating during its ambiguity.

2-who is the narrator of the story?

Hills Like White Elephants story takes form of objective (third- person) point of view where the author is narrator (Hemingway). The author does not enter the mind of the characters at any time. He allows us to see the characters as in the real life. We will not know anything about characters except through what they say about themselves.

3-Describe the setting and discuss its importance to the story?

The story takes place in the train station in Spain where American and girl sat. Also, it was between two lines of rails between Barcelona and Madrid. There are two sides. The first one of them is surrounding with hills across valley of Ebro and other side did not have shade and tree. The weather was a hot, and they have 40minutes to go to Madrid.

The setting has importance to the story. The first one, it provides background information about the story. Moreover, it provides particular time and place of the story. Furthermore, if the writer describes the setting with vivid description, he can create sense of believability in the mind of the readers.

4-Is the male character admirable? What does he want? How do you know?  

The male character is admirable, because he is rugged man's man knowledgeable. Also, he maintains his cool and feigns indifference as when he tells the girl he does not care whether she has the operation or not. Also that, at the first, he avoids discussion of their problem, but when she pressured, he tackles them. Moreover, he fails to provide sympathy and understand to the girl.

He wants from her to do operation which is an abortion. And, we know that through the title of the story (White Elephants), which means something no one wants. This case refers to unborn child. Although, the word (an abortion) is never spoken. The operation understood through the man explanation by saying (it's really not anything. It is just to let the air in).

5-Is the female character admirable? What does she want? Explain with textual evidence?

The female character is not admirable, because she just wants her right to stable and making her family. She is not sure that she wants an abortion. She is tired from traveling, of allowing the man make all decision, of allowing him to talk until he persuaded her that his way is the right way. This life will be change forever. Living in hotels, traveling and never settling down has become wearing. Their life will be instability (We look at things, and try new drink).   

6-What is the nature of their relationship? Use examples from the text to justify your response?

Hemingway does not say if the two people (American and girl) are married or not. He presents only conversation between them, and allows us to draw our own conclusion. We assume that these two people are not married. We know that through their luggage. They had labels (there were labels on them from all hotels where they had spent nights). And, these night that they spent in those hotels led them to have that child.

7-Why does she look with fascination at field and trees across the plain? Is her comment about the hills being like white elephants silly or profound? Explain.

The girl looks with fascination at the field and trees across the plain, because he tells her that if she has the operation, they will be happy and hold the whole world. So, she looks to trees and field, and she say (And we could have all this).

Her comment about hills being like white elephants was profound, because it maybe refers to the wildlife. The girl and American lived wildlife and the child will make them stable, so the man did not want him. The hills are stable, and he did not want to be like hill. Or it may be refers to the shape of female during of pregnancy. Thus, through of this comment, she appears that she is more imaginative.      

8-who do you sympathize with more, the boy or the girl? Explain.

I feel more sympathy with the girl, because she is tired from the travelling and she wants stability. She looks weaker, because she always let him to make the decisions and convince her that his way is the right.  Also, he did not care of her and not interest if she will do the operation or not.

9-Symbolic meaning throughout the text: can you underline more symbols?

A-Hills symbolizes to the shape of the female body during of pregnancy.

B-Landscape symbolizes to the choices in the text.

C-White Elephants symbolizes to the wildlife and not stability.

D-Railway junction symbolizes to midpoint between the time and future time.

E-Bamboo symbolizes to old account that human life was born from bamboo.

F-Luggage symbolizes to map of journey.