Hills Like White Elephants Symbolism Essay

The only type of beverage that has been around for as long as humans have, and consistently has been an immensely popular drink is an alcoholic beverage. Alcoholic beverages are typically a celebratory drink, but as a recurring symbol in Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “Hills Like White Elephants”, alcoholic beverages are tools used by the American man to solve the problem in his relationship with Jig. The story takes place in Spain and entails an implicit and tense conversation between a manipulative American man and a young Spanish girl named Jig, which is comical because the American man is in Spain . As they talk, the American man orders various alcoholic drinks for Jig and himself to try while trying to convince Jig to get an abortion.

The vagueness of the name implies that the characterization of the American man can be applied to most if not all American men. The American man is depicted as a manipulative person because he attempts to persuade Jig to undergo an abortion so that he can avoid the responsibilities of being a father without feeling guilt for going back to the United States of America instead of fathering his child. An example of the American man’s manipulative nature is expressed on page one when he says to Jig, “it’s really an awfully simple operation.” The description of “awfully simple” is an oxymoron used by the American man to minimize the serious and complex nature of getting an abortion so that the idea of getting an abortion appeals to Jig. Similarly, the American man attempts to give Jig the impression that he cares for her well being when he says, “well, I care about you” after Jig made up her mind to get the abortion. The American man hopes the impression that he cares for Jig will mask his own ulterior motive, which is to get Jig to get the abortion. Thus, the American man is a depiction of Hemingway’s perception of American men, hence the vague