Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Essay Example

The story is based on a conversation between a man and a girl who are at a train station both waiting to board a train. Based on the setting of the story it is a hot day and they are situated at a bar at the train station, and are having drinks so as to quench their thirst as well as find a solution to the searing heat on the day. Their conversation is based on a number of topics, which serve to pass the time for the two as they wait for the train to arrive.

The man who is referred to as ‘the American’, is a man who likes to indulge himself with alcohol as well as not an advocate for children as part of the conversation he tries to convince Jig, who is the girl in the conversation, to go through an abortion, as she is pregnant in the story. He is mostly assertive as he is insistent on continuing the aspect of abortion even when Jig wants to drop the conversation. His character is based on illustrating the notion of a man who is not willing to take up responsibility, but more concerned with having things go his way.

Jig, who is the girl in the story, is a pregnant in the story. Based on the conversation, she illustrates her affection for the man, by willing to go through the abortion as he suggests, but is still unhappy about doing the procedure. She shows her interest in the man by having alcohol with him, even though she is well aware that alcohol could affect her unborn child. She illustrates her level of imagination as she compares the hills to white elephants, which may be as a result of the effects of the searing heat.