In Ernest Hemingway's, "Hills Like White Elephants," much is left for the audience to infer. The greatest areas of symbolism are the descriptions of the two different landscapes on either side of the train station as well as the beaded curtain.
             The story begins its symbolic depiction by stating, "The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white." The girl commented on them while waiting on the train, "They look like white elephants." This statement begins to show an effort to hide something. The term, "white elephant," is an attempt to ignore a certain dilemma, however the quandary itself becomes so large it is impossible to overlook. Later, it becomes more apparent to the reader that she is speaking of her pregnancy and thoughts of abortion due to pressuring by the baby 's father. Within their conversation, she replied that the hills were lovely and didn't look like white elephants at all. This is the point where she begins to think more for herself and realize that she doesn't want "the operation." The description of the hills can also more directly represent the shape of her stomach during the stages of pregnancy. On the hills there was no vegetation or movement as the land was inactive and lifeless. Her attention to, "..the coloring of [the elephants] skin..." may suggest the possibility of a stillborn baby's pale skin. The heat in Barcelona can also be a sign of the pressure that was being put on her by the American due to his views of the abortion.
             The American man feels most at home in the shade. "Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building..." The shadow represents hiding, wrongdoing, and evil. It is also a common symbol of death; the uncertainty of the unborn child 's life. The man thrives in the warm shade; this is where he feels most comfortable. He
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