Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” provides an outlook on the issues that affect one’s sociocultural beliefs. The story acts as as a microcosm for the real world in which one’s sociocultural beliefs also clash. Hemingway uses his protagonist, Jig, as a means to express the complexity of the sociocultural beliefs that affect not only his characters but also in the real world.

For instance, religion plays a central role within the story. Yet, Hemingway does not make the notion of religion outright noticeable in his words but rather in symbolic representation. In the story, Jig passed by a beaded curtain that can be quickly compared to a rosary. In the context of Jig’s situation, this symbol highlights a conflict that remains relevant within society. In Jig’s case, it represents her inner conflict with her own religious beliefs versus having an operation that could affect her relationship. For Hemingway, he is investigating how religion affects our perception of one’s self and society. In the case of Jig, her religious intuition prompts her to think how she will fail to live up to her own moral expectations. Yet, her consideration of the abortion pushes to think about the fallout that she will face in society for her decision.