Themes, Motifs, and Symbolism in
“Hills Like White Elephants”
For AP Literature & Composition, D. McNew
This short story is about a couple with a major conflict – the girl is pregnant and
does not want an abortion – her boyfriend appears to want her to get an abortion.
“Hills Like White Elephants” was
written by Ernest Hemingway and was
published in 1927 in a book titled
“Men Without Women.”
Over time, since its publication, people have read and analyzed this seemingly
simple piece of fiction and have formed various opinions on the themes, motifs,
and symbolism throughout. I will be presenting some of them here.
THEME –
the main thought or central idea expressed by a work
One theme is Communication 
including
• A conflict between the
couple
• Their inability to
communicate effectively
• The girl’s dependence
upon the man
Another theme...Selfishness and Manipulation
“Well, let’s try and have a
fine time.”
“We’ll be fine
afterwards. Just
like we were
before.”
“I think it’s the
best thing to
do.”
“I love you now.
You know I love
you.”
“It’s really an awfully
simple operation, Jig.
It’s not really an
operation at all.”
“That’s the only thing
that bothers us. It’s
the only thing that’s
made us unhappy.”
“I know you
wouldn’t mind it,
Jig. It’s really not
anything. It’s just
to let the air in””
“I won’t worry
about that because
it’s perfectly
simple.”
“I don’t care anything
about it.”
“You don’t have to
be afraid. I’ve
known lots of people
that have done it.”
“I’ll go with you and
I’ll stay with you all
the time. They just
let the air in and then
it’s all perfectly
natural.”
“Well, if you don’t
want to you don’t
have to. I wouldn’t
have you do it if you
didn’t want to. But I
know it’s perfectly
simple.”
“But I don’t want
anybody but you. I
don’t want anyone
else. And I know it’s
perfectly simple.”
A final theme... Choices
• Confronting and accepting
the future
OR
• Evasion of responsibility
MOTIF –
Something that recurs throughout the piece to
develop the theme. This could be a reference, an incident, or
an activity.
Alcohol is one motif
There is drinking throughout the story
• First they order two glasses of beer
• Then the girl wants to try Anis del Toro
• They order a second round of beers
• Then they order a third round of beers
• After moving the luggage, the man stops
in the bar room and has another drink
In trying to avoid conversation and the issue at hand, the
couple fills their time with alcoholic drinks.
At the end of the story they each drink alone
He sits at the bar and drinks an Anis
She is at the table finishing her beer
from the third round
A second motif  The man’s
over-simplification of the
“operation”.
Using this euphemism, rather than the
harsh word “abortion”, is one way he
minimizes this choice.
His continuing statements stress how
“perfectly simple” this process can be
and also imply his strong opinion that
she should just “do it”.
SYMBOLISM –
the use of words, places, characters, or
objects that mean something beyond what they are on a literal
level. A symbol is a word or object that stands for another
word, object, or idea.
The title actually contains three different symbols  including hills, the
color white, and the white elephant
Hills
the rounded enlargement of the
girl’s stomach with a baby
The Color
White
Symbolizes
the innocence and purity of
her unborn child
White
Elephant
Symbolizes
uselessness or
being unwanted
A white elephant sale, for example, is a type of yard sale or bargain-bin sale. At these sales,
stuff that is unwanted is sold. This reference could imply that the unborn baby is useless or
unwanted.
White
Elephant
Symbolic of
a valuable possession which the
owner can not dispose of
According to Asian legends, the possession of a white elephant was regarded as both a
blessing and a curse. It was good because the animal was sacred and was considered to be
a high-level gift. It was bad because the animal could not be used as a labor animal and
would be expensive to own and maintain.
White
Elephant
Symbolizes
avoidance of a difficult
topic (“an elephant in
the room”)
The phrase “an elephant in the room” is a euphemism for a topic painfully obvious that no
one wants to discuss – it refers to a question, problem, or issue that is obvious but is being
ignored.
White
Elephant
strength and fertility
According to tradition, Buddha’s mother had a dream about a white elephant that brought her
a lotus flower. The following day she gave birth to her son.
Jig
(Nickname of the girl)
A jig is a device used in
wood working. Some
have suggested that her
name is symbolic
because the man thinks
of her as a tool – an
object – rather than a
person with emotions
and feelings about her
unborn child.
A jig is also a traditional Irish dance. This
nickname can show, in a subtle way, that the girl
and man dance around each other and around
the problem that exists without saying anything
important or coming to any clear decision.
Bamboo
Curtains
boundaries the couple is facing at this
point in their life OR the separation that
exists between the couple
Anis del Toro
This new drink that tastes like
licorice can represent the
innocence of Jig, since she has
never heard of this drink before.
This powerful liquor can
symbolize the excitement that
her American boyfriend has to
offer to Jig, but the drink fails to
deliver.
Railroad Tracks
These tracks are the
dividing line
between the green,
fertile land, and the
brown, dry land,
representing the
division that exists
between the couple.
These are tracks that run side-by-side, yet
never meet, and could represent the
relationship between Jig and her boyfriend –
being together – yet never coming together.
Train
Station
Symbolic of
the point where a decision must be
made, as it is the midpoint between
their journeys
Green Side
of Station
(Lush, fertile, vibrant green landscape)
fertility – the growing baby – a
new life – a new beginning
Barren Side
of Station
(Brown and dry landscape)
Death – the abortion – the
end of life
Ebro River
Represents life
and vitality
Symbolic of the
passage of time
Baggage
the past
Hotel Labels on Baggage
all of the places
the couple has
traveled to
the man’s spirited and
unrestricted lifestyle,
which he will have to give
up if he needs to settle
down and raise a child
“Hills Like White Elephants” is similar to
many of Hemingway’s other short stories.
He uses straightforward writing, simple
prose, and skeletal sentences.
Hemingway knows
how to trim language
and has been said to
“get the most from
the least.”
He leaves
information out of
this story
intentionally. This
allows the readers to
fill in the blanks and
come to their own
conclusion.
Hemingway uses a style that analysts call
the “Iceberg Theory.” This is very evident
in “Hills Like White Elephants.” His hard
facts float above the water but most of the
supporting structure, filled with symbolism,
operates underwater.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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http://www.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Stories/WhiteElephants.html.
(3/31/10).
“Hills Like White Elephants.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hills_like_white_elephants. (3/31/10).
“Hills Like White Elephants: A Study Guide.” Cummings Study Guide.
http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/Guides4/Hills.html. (4/1/10).
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http://www.shmoop.com/hills-like-white-elephants/symbolism-imagery.html.
(4/1/10).
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http://www.gummyprint.com/blog/hills-like-white-elephants-literary-analysis/.
(4/1/10).
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http://www.sparknotes.com/short-stories/hills-like-white-elephants/themes.html.
(4/1/10).
“White Elephant.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/white_elephant. (4/6/10).