‘Hills Like White Elephants’ by Ernest Hemingway is another short story with a cyphered message. At first glance, nothing special but a conversation between a man and a woman at a train station is happening. Here, a reader seems to be peeking through a keyhole. Along the peeking, the reader discovers, to their dismay, what an unimaginable catastrophe is unfolding. The young woman has to make the most crucial decision that probably will determine all her future life and, perhaps, she does not have any option at all.
She has to make an abortion and get rid of a “white elephant” – a baby that has interfered in their adventurous life. They both are reminded of “all the hotels where they spent nights” (Hemingway, 1927, p. 4). It is evident that the man and the woman see the situation differently and feel differently. The reader, a happenstance witness, is getting the feeling of powerlessness in the face of chaos. Nothing could be done now when a person says words of love but in reality, does not have love to give. The young woman realizes that everything is over – the world they have shared together is about to stop.
References
Hemingway, E. (1927). Hills Like White Elephants. Web.