Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

“Hills Like White Elephants”, is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. It was first published in August 1927, in the literary magazine Transition, then later in the 1927 short story collection Men Without Women. “Hills Like White Elephants” tells the story of an American man and a woman having some beers outside the station bar as they wait for the train to Barcelona. It elaborates on how an irresponsible couple unaccustomed to serious communication interact in a poison relationship and try to manipulate each other to get what they want.
“Hills Like White Elephants" is an extraordinary example of human communication. The story depicts a couple at a crisis point in their relationship, as they struggle to communicate their opposing views, and the course their relationship should take. Ego prevents the couple from seeing each other’s view point. Although Jig comes off somewhat submissive, both parties are strong willed and consumed by the power of their ideas and it prevents them from understanding one another’s outlook on the situation. When that occurs, any chance of compromise is lost.
Not even halfway down the page of the story, the couple begins to bicker at each other.
Jig: (the hills) They look like white elephants,
The American: I’ve never seen one,
Jig: No, you wouldn’t have.
The American: I might have, just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything. (1)
Immediately, a tension between the two builds until the man says, "Oh, cut it out"(1), and then The American changes the subject. He is the one who starts the argument by dismissing Jig's white elephant comment and bringing up the abortion. The author makes the man to be very selfish in wanting the girl to have the operation so that he can keep his lifestyle o...

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...afe to say neither of them wins the argument and a solution is not found.
Hemingway has manufactured a fleshed-out characterization of the couple and a clear and complete exposition of their dilemma using almost nothing but dialogue. The title of the story has led many to speculate on what the “white elephant” symbolizes. It is notable that "white elephant" is a term used to refer to something that requires much care, yielding little profit; such as a relationship. A white elephant is generally thought of as unusual and cumbersome: better referred to as, in short, a problem. Hemingway disguises the true underlying problem with this couple, with the subject of abortion. It almost distracts the reader and encourages them to take sides: either relating to Jig or The American, when the problem was not in the operation, or the child, but their poor commutation skills.