Hills like White Elephants Analysis

With the use of the literary devices, symbolism, tone, metaphors, similes and setting, Ernest manifests the abortion controversy in the text. The story is set in Spain at a train station where the couple try to establish communication on the problems that face their relationship and the course that it should take in future (Hemingway 221). As they establish this an argument made public ensues. Through their search of absolution for the relationship, the reader is open to many revelations on the delusions and misconceptions that surround the two. The first paragraph of the story introduces the setting of the text. Even at the scene where the bartender and the man are accommodating drinks, tone is obvious. The narrator is used by the author to describe the story and what ensues from within it.

This is done to evoke the reader’s perception of the text and is enabled by the narrator’s tone that ranges from a relaxed to a distraught one. Therefore, the story’s development is observed by the reader, who is however, left to think critically and in a confused state on what is said in the story. The couple’s tone is controlled and relaxed, this might have been influenced by the environment at which the conversation takes place, which is open and public (Link 67). With the sentiment the girl imagines the birth of her child that would be exceptional like the sight of white elephants. White is used to symbolize the child. A child is born pure and innocent, ignorant to the terror and evil in the world.

Thus, when the girl uses the term white elephants she sees the innocence of her unborn child. When she observes the rest of the beautiful scene, she sees fields of grain and trees, which are used to symbolize her fertility by having life within her womb and the fruitfulness of the grain was the baby (Hashmi 78). He did not want the baby to change his style of life which is symbolized by the tags. Therefore, he feels that the baby would interfere with his desires and wishes of moving around the world. As the story comes to a conclusion, the couple sits in wait of their train which would arrive in five minutes. They had not made a decision or a conclusion to their argument.