Metaphorical And Symbloic Ambiguities

An ambiguity is simply something that is unclear and needs a second look discover its true meaning. The author mastered the use of ambiguities when he wrote this very seemingly straight forward story about a couple at a train station having an argument. This work of literature would be an insignificant story about a time in a couple’s life if it were not for the underlying ambiguities which tell the true story. This story is also very relatable to today’s couples because of the everyday agreements and struggles that a couple has to endure to attempt to stay together and in that happy medium. Ernest Hemingway littered “Hills like White elephants” with metaphorical and symbolic ambiguities throughout the landscape to portray the different challenges and conflicts in postwar relationships.

Symbolism is the key to this short story because it is what makes it so interesting. The title “Hills like White Elephants” itself refers to an aspect of the setting which is symbolically important in many ways. Jig, the female companion, says “They look like white elephants” (Hemingway 1) referring to the hills. This statement also can be viewed as the unborn baby as an upcoming obstacle the couple must face that might change the status quo. The American man attempts to selfishly persuade his lover to get an abortion because it will solve all of their problems. “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig” and he continues to say “Its not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 1) trying his best to convince Jig that the operation is easy and will make all of their problems go away. The story also goes tell which direction the two characters are facing while at the train station. This may seem pointless when first reading but after taking another look you notice that the American man is facing the barren, desert-like area