Ernest Hemingway believed that leaving out important details in his stories (often called the "iceberg theory") tended to make them more powerful. In his novel The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway leaves out the important fact that Jake Barnes has been castrated in World War I. The fact is implied but never overtly stated. Likewise, in the short story "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway never explicitly states the nature of the argument between the American...
Ernest Hemingway believed that leaving out important details in his stories (often called the "iceberg theory") tended to make them more powerful. In his novel The Sun Also Rises, Hemingway leaves out the important fact that Jake Barnes has been castrated in World War I. The fact is implied but never overtly stated. Likewise, in the short story "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway never explicitly states the nature of the argument between the American and Jig, yet a close reading of the text identifies the topic as abortion. Two important references in the story reveal that abortion is the subject. First, Jig mentions how the hills resemble white elephants. A white elephant is often considered a gift which is burdensome and not really wanted. These hills are like the baby that Jig is carrying. Second, the American wants Jig to have an abortion and tends to refer to the medical procedure as simple and natural. He says,
"It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig...It's really not anything. It's just to let the air in."
For her part, Jig seems to resist the American's request to abort her baby but the issue is never resolved. Often analyzed by critics, some seem to feel that, judging by her perceived acquiescence to whatever the American wants, Jig will have the abortion. Others cite the fact that at the end of the story Jig and the American drink in different places (her at the table and him at the bar) to suggest that Jig will break off her relationship with the American and have the baby.
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