Custom «Hills Like White Elephants» Essay Paper Sample

The hills that lie across the Ebro valley were white as well as long. A shade and trees lacked on this side and the station fell in the midst of two rail lines in the sun. A warm shadow of a building together with a curtain lay close towards the station side

The setting of the story "hills like white elephants" is a train station in the Valley of Ebro River that is in Spain. Although the year that the story took place is not indicated, it is believed to have taken place around 1920 which was a dry as well as hot day. For the most part of the story, the valley scenery has been ugly as well as barren. The story has two important characters, one, "the American" and the other is a female companion by the name of Jig (Johnston, 233-38).

The entire narration of the story is through dialogue and involves "the American" and Jig as they wait for a train at this valley. In the course of their conversation, it becomes evident that Jig is pregnant and "the American" advocates for an abortion and much of their personalities are revealed. The relationship between them remains mysterious and the story comes to an end when the decision either made or not is still unclear and also whatever will take place with the two characters.

As they take some beer from a bar, the remarks of the girl, Jig, indicate that there is a remembrance of the distant hills to the white elephants, although "the American" discounts these remarks. The unfolding of the story continues as they engage in the dialogue showing that, Jig does not have an understanding of Spanish but "the American" is conversant with the language. It also becomes clearly evident that there is a misunderstanding between the two characters although the subject behind their disagreement remains to be hidden up to a point that "the American" comments that "It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig. . . . It's not really an operation at all." This is accompanied by a failure of response from the girl (Johnston, 233-38).

The story is taken to be the allegory associated with Jig's innocence to "the American" from the perspective of Jig in as far as an affair of pleasure of being together in flesh is concerned. The innocence of Jig is manifested by the acceptance of a drink that she had never tasted before and this allegory leads to the development in to some mixed feelings in the course of unfolding of the story. Jig is in confusion and also expresses the extent of immorality inherent in her through her utterances that everything is of the taste of licorice. This is a reflection of the extent of intoxication that surpasses the physical as well as emotional abuse that she undergoes. The answer from "the American is that "Oh cut it out", and this is an implication of abortion, then proceeds to utter "Well, let's try and have a fine time." (Johnston, 233-38).

The possibility of the reference to the white elephants is the valuable possession associated with the baby who cannot be disposed by the owner at any cost. As the story goes towards the end, the man takes bold of picking the luggage of the couple then porting it to "other tracks" that neighbors the station to the opposite. This is a clear symbolism of the primacy sense as a result of making up the decision of giving up the child and the consequent betrayal of the insistence to Jig about the decision lying squally on her hands.