An Analysis of Theme in Ernest Hemingway's "Hills's Like White Elephants"
             Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants is a fascinating story, set at a train station at Zaragosa, Spain. This story first appeared in a short story collection titled Men Without Women, which was published in 1927. In this story, we eavesdrop on a conversation held by "the American and the girl with him" (170). In their dialogue, conflict is created as the characters face what most readers believe to be the obstacle of unexpected pregnancy. This is assumed through symbolism and the titles meaning. The term "white elephant" was used in the Swing era, and usually stood for an unwanted gift. The birth of a child, when unexpected could then be seen as a "white elephant." This story touches on an issue most people are very familiar with: Communication problems in a relationship. Although the couple in the story are talking, they seem unable to convey their differing opinions to each other. The theme is established throughout the story, but the reader first notices the trouble in the couple's conversation in line 11, when the girl says that the hills "look like white elephants" (170). For the first time we sense sarcasm in the man 's response to this statement, and also a defensive. We see the girl's weakness and her inability to express herself later in the story when the couple are discussing the operation. Both of the characters have specific lines in the story where it is apparent that they have major communication problems.
             At the beginning of this story, the girl points out that the hills look like white elephants, but the male coldly responds that he wouldn't know. Her response, "No you wouldn't have" (170) is returned with a snap, "just because you say I wouldn't have doesn't prove anything" (170). This ...