Ari Stanger

Short Story Summary

Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “Hills Like White Elephants,” is an iconic narrative that explores two young ex-patriots search for identity within an apathetic world.  The narrative begins with a wonderful depiction of a small train station which lies in-between Barcelona and Madrid in the remote valley of Ebro.  The narrator illustrates the landscape commenting, “The hills across the valley… were long and white.  On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun.”  The narrator then briefly introduces the main characters as “the American and the girl.”  The narration, following Hemingway’s unique rendition of the Modernistic style, then primarily utilizes dialogue between the “American” and “Girl” to expand the plot development.

The dialogue begins with the couple ordering two big beers from the bar located in the train station, and the girl commenting on the surrounding hills stating, “They look like white elephants.”  This comment brings about a subtle confrontation with the “American” on whether he has seen a white elephant.  The “Americans”  states:  “Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything.”  The conversation is then quickly diverted to an unknown drink the girl would like to try.  After tasting the drink the girl comments, “It tastes like liquorice,” and the “American” remarks, “That’s the way with everything.”  This brings about the girl’s revelation that, “everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe.”  After another brief altercation that is again subdued by the couple ordering a drink, the “American” comments on “an awfully simple operation” that he thinks Jig, the girl, should get.  The “American” presents his opinion stating, “It’s not really an operation at all.. I know you wouldn’t mind it.. They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural.”  Jig responds hesitantly in a means to be reassured that after the operation the “American” would love her and “be happy and things will be like they were.”  Jig then looks around the epic landscape and pronounces, “we could have all this.. and we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible.”  The “American” then refutes stating, “No, we can’t.  It isn’t ours any more.”  The narration then comes to a conclusion when the American asks Jig, “Do you feel better,” to which she replies, “I feel fine.. There’s nothing wrong with me.  I feel fine.”