Hills like White Elephants

This was a story by Ernest Hemingway. The main characters in this story were a man and a woman that remained unnamed. There has been a recurring unnamed main character in a lot of different stories we have read, such as “Sonny’s Blues”. It is an interesting strategy that makes the characters in this story seem way more mysterious.

This entire story is a conversation between the man and the woman. The interesting thing you can find out about the age difference in this relationship is what they are referred to as. The main male role is referred to as the man while the main female is referred to as the girl. This is a perfect clue as to what is going on here. This means that there are a few years in between the people in this relationship.

Another notable clue about how this relationship is going is how they talk to each other. The girl’s voice is still full of passion and imagination which shows you that she is still very much in love with the man. This is evident when she refers to the hills as they look like white elephants. The man’s response is very flat and bland which shows you that he also cares more about their business in Spain rather than strengthening their relationship. Also when she says “Will you like me more after this” is also a good clue as to what is going on in their lives.

There is a sharp contrast in their personas however. The man soon starts to act like the girl when the story is winding down. This is a very interesting change for Hemmingway to make, especially in the last couple of lines.

This story was really kind of depressing but it was written in a very mysterious way. It peaked my interests and it was a different type of read for me.