Hemingway Essay
A good writer’s objective is to say as much as possible as briefly as possible. This enables the thinking about the implications of the word’s presented. Ernest Hemingway explained this idea in his “iceberg'; theory of writing fiction in an interview for Paris Review: “ If it is any use to know it, I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There are seven-eighths of it under water for every part that shows.'; In order to expand on the meaning of his plots and characters, Hemingway used symbols and extended meanings to supply the unstated and submerged portion of his stories. The story “ Hills Like White Elephants'; is an excellent example of Hemingway’s “iceberg'; principal with its extensive use of literary symbols.
In Hemingway’s “iceberg'; theory of writing, Hemingway wants readers to “read in-between lines'; and derive the true meaning of the story. To do this, you must interpret the symbolism Hemingway uses.
The story “Hills Like White Elephants'; is about a man and a woman who are at a train station in Madrid, Spain. The woman is pregnant and the man and the woman are discussing whether the woman should have an abortion operation. They have only forty minutes (the time they have to wait for their train to arrive) to make their decision. At the end of the story, the woman is still not certain if she should have the abortion operation.
In “Hills Like White Elephants';, there are many examples of the “iceberg'; theory. One strong example was when the woman, referring to the hills,
says,“ They look like white elephants.'; The woman later says, in response to the man’s request of trying to have a fine time,“ All right. I was trying. I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasn’t that bright?';
The white elephants in these two statements symbolize the woman’s mythical dreams. The white elephants were just a figment of her imagination. The background and the horizon of the hills represent all the remote possibilities for the resolution of their current problem.
Another example of Hemingway’s iceberg theory in the story “Hills Like White Elephants'; is the two sides of the valley; “ The hills across the valley of the Ebro 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 detailed symbolism of the two sides of the valley represent the two characters, the man and the woman.
The communication going on between the man and girl in the story, "Hills Like White Elephants,'; are not an honest one. The man seems to lead the conversation where as the girl is quiet. He brings up the subject of 'operation' which suggested abortion, but never mentions the word 'abortion' in the story to understate it. He tries to convince the girl to get the operation, but the girl seems bothered by this subject. However, he does not stop. Their relationship seems to be fine when the baby has not came in between them. We could see this where the guy says, "We'll be fine afterward. Just like we were before.'; The girl wants the relationship to become as before, but is in a huge dilemma whether to give birth to the baby or not. The man does not want the baby and has the choice of abortion in mind, not thinking of the other problems that would occur through operation such as the girl's health. Later on, the girl makes a melancholy remark that the hills look like white elephants. Probably the hills being a round shape reminded her of the baby. She walks toward the end of the station, and sees the beautiful nature. When she looks more toward the nature, one could see her small desire wanting the baby and thinks what may have been happened if she had the baby. The guy does not pay attention to that remark, because he is just concerned about making his point that he wants the operation done, not considering her side.
The principle of the iceberg, as the theory is called by Hemingway, leaves distinctive imprints on his short stories: a clipped, spare style, naturalistic presentation of actions and observations, heavy reliance on dramatic dialogue, and a pattern of connection extending backwards and forwards between the various stories. Because of the above, it is helpful to have some understanding of his theory. In Death in the afternoon, Hemingway (1932,191) points out that no matter how good a phrase or a simile a writer may have, he is spoiling his work out of egotism if he puts it in where it is not absolutely necessary. The form of a work, according to Hemingway, should be created out of experience, and no intruding elements should be allowed to falsify that form and betray that experience. As a result, all that can be dispensed with should be pruned off: convention, embellishment, rhetoric.
His “iceberg theory” hides a far greater mass of ice underneath. Just like the abortion part of this story. He leaves the elements of the story to the reader so the readers thoughts and feelings are completely their own interpretations. Moreover, when we tell a story, the how we tell the story is important because you can’t just tell a happy story with a sad attitude it will make the story seem like it’s sad when it’s not. When I look at the painting Hunters in the Snow, I see hunters and their dogs coming back from a hunting trip empty handed. The figures postures show an unhappiness tone. The colors of the painting also suggest a dark and gloomy life of hardship type of setting. In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” at first seems happy and like the couple is just going on a trip. But as you read further you start to figure out what’s really happening. The how Hemingway told his story made us keep guessing about what the point of the story was. Also, the how Hemingway wrote his story, in short sentences gives the story a different tone to it so some might mistake what the story is really
Madigan and Levenson’s Resurrection, is one of the most important books that all seminary students should read in their course of study.
Hemingway, considered to be a modernist writer, makes his readers work by implementing the well-known theory of omission, which “Hills Like White Elephants” is a perfect example of. As he stated in Death in the Afternoon : ‘If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, […].’ (259). It seems that Hemingway assumed the reader would know what is being omitted, nevertheless many features of “Hills Like White Elephants” have already been covered by various critics. At the end of the story the reader is forced to unravel the most...
Reformers wanted to stray away from political influences and believed that policing should be in the control of police executives (Peak, 2015). While the Political era’s goal was social services, the Reform Era began to shift policing to controlling crime. In addition, the police organizations were reorganized through the study of scientific theory of administration advocated by Fredrick Taylor, which led to the development of maximizing police efficiency (Peak, 2015). To improve professionalism within police departments, O.W. Wilson began emulating what J. Edgar Hoover did with the FBI. In 1924, the FBI director began to raise eligibility standards to develop an incorruptible force. As a result, it had a direct influence on local police agencies by placing emphasis on education, training, honesty and professionalism. Professionalism in police departments came about in the form of new Technological advances and a focus on crime fighting. During this period there were three major advances in technology: two-way radio, police cars and the telephone. Unlike the problems faced during the political era, the advent of these technologies changed everything. With two-way radios, supervisors now had the capability to notify patrol officers of calls and maintain accountability. Patrol cars allowed for greater mobility, which led to officers responding to calls more efficiently. Then telephones allowed for citizens to have a direct line to the police and were encouraged to call for any problem. However, while the advances in technology greatly increased police efficiency, it had unexpected consequences. In contrast, during the political era, officers patrolled on foot, which allowed them to engage citizens and develop a relationship within the community. With the use of police cars, officers no
The characters of The Hills Like White Elephants are an unnamed American man and a girl called Jig. The two are apparent lovers. They are at a train station, waiting to board a train to Madrid. In the meantime they are talking about an operation the man wants the woman to have. This operation is an abortion. The pair drinks beer, while talking about the situation. The man wants the girl
Ernest Hemingway is an incredible writer, known for what he leaves out of stories not for what he tells. His main emphasis in Hills Like White Elephants seems to be symbolism. Symbolism is the art or practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous representations (merriam-webster.com). He uses this technique to emphasize the importance of ideas, once again suggesting that he leaves out the important details of the story by symbolizing their meaning.
Hemingway was very good at stating impressive amount of things in a one short sentence. “Hemingway’s mature style of writing short, declarative sentences developed at the Star”(Oliver 3). He acquired this skill from working at a Newspaper company. He uses minimal amount of words to make a powerful point. “Mr. and Mrs. Elliot tried very hard to have a baby” (1). This short sentence itself raises many questions and it states many things; the inability of the Mr. Elliot to satisfy his wife sexually or questioning Mr. Elliot sexual preference and as well as of Mrs. Elliot. “The liquor had all died out of him and left him alone” (171). This short line describes how lonely the character of Nick Adam feels and how sad he feels for the loss of her girl friend Marjorie. “‘Well, Doc,’ he said, ‘that’s a nice lot of timber you’ve stolen’” (7). This particular sentence has so much weight that it shakes th...
The story "Hills Like White Elephants" is a conversation between a young woman `Jig' and an American man waiting for a train at a station in Spain. The author never names the topic of their discussion but as their dialogue progresses; it becomes evident that Jig is pregnant. The man wants Jig to abort the unborn child but she is unconvinced and wants to become a mother. Hemingway has brilliantly written the story's dialogue which "captures the feel of a private conversation while at the same time communicating the necessary narrative background" (O'Brien 19). At the end of the story, it is unclear as to what decision has been made; however, Hemingway gives the reader several clues regarding what Jig feels, and what she wants to do. Jig's private thoughts are illuminated by Hemingway's description of the setting, the character, and the conflict. Stanley Renner suggests that, as a result of the couple's discussion, "Jig has become able to make a more clear-sighted estimation, and perhaps a better choice, of men" Wyche(59). The couple's inability to communicate effectively their true thoughts and emotions makes their dialogue very appealing. The story examines the gender differences and miscommunications as they influence the decision whether to abort the unborn child or not (Smiley). In his book on Hemingway, published in 1999, Carl P. Eby points out that "[f]or the past two decades, Hemingway criticism has been dominated by a reconsideration of the role of gender in his work" (Bauer 125).
The setting in hills like white elephants is very important because it refers to the natural landscape for references. The couple is outside a
Ernest Hemmingway uses time, place, and symbolism in "Hills like White Elephants" to intensify the central dilemma in a story about a man and a woman deciding on whether to go through with an abortion. Although a literal reading of the title may not seem to have any relation to the story, the title is rich in implications. Critics suggest that "Hills" refers to the shape of a woman's stomach when pregnant, and Webster's 21st Century Dictionary defines white elephant as: "[An] awkward, useless possession. " The term is also defined in Webster's as an item that is worthless to some but priceless to others. According to Victor Lindsey, the child in the story is a white elephant in the view of the man, who is trying to convince the girl to get rid of it.
After reading “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, it is evident that he does not give any extraneous information. Rather, he provides the reader with just enough information by using symbols that allows the reader to derive a deeper meaning rather than interpret the established words in the story. Hemingway purposefully wrote this story so that emotion was implied but not blatantly seen. Symbols are essential in “Hills like White Elephants”; readers can develop a better understanding of what is going on between the two characters by looking at and finding the significance in the setting, the train, and the meaning behind the title.
Stukas, Jake. "Literary analysis: Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway." Helium.com. Web. 21 Nov. 2009. .
In the poem, “If I Should Die,” the speaker is curious as to what would happen if they were to die (Academy of American Poets). Death is a common fear. The speaker emphasizes that the idea of death is a natural, peaceful thing that everyone will encounter at the end of life. There is no need to fear death but embrace it and the time that’s allotted in living it. Within the poem, Dickinson creates a picture of a person dying, and another person living and just how that will affect time, nature, and the earth (Moorhead). Moorhead highlights Dickinson’s use of imagery in proving her point of time. “And time should gurgle on” proves that time doesn’t stop when a person dies, but that time will go on after one’s death. Examples are used in the poem to explain how life will be like on earth after death happens; “Tis sweet to know that stocks will stand / when we with daisies lie” ensures that once death does come for an individual, that eventually nature will die too. People have always believed that after a plant dies it will “always grow back,” and this is usually true. Dickinson implies that this idea is the same for humans as well. Once one human is taken from the world, shortly another will be born into the world; it’s a continuance of the natural cycle of nature (Moorhead). The ending line of the poem, “conduct the pleasing scene,” conveys that when you view materialistic earth, a natural death is a pleasing thing to see since it’s the natural way of life. Dickinson paints a positive outlook on death with the use of imagery and makes the idea of death seem more favorable in the eyes of her readers. Death is in fact an inescapable fact of our existence and by giving multiple examples on how life will go on after someone’s death, the reader’s are reassured that what they leave behind will continue on. The speaker is calm knowing the world will continue to function and continue on after dying.