Hemingway
employs both his plot and symbolism to further the theme of Doubt and Ambiguity. With only
dialogue as the foundation for the plot, the discussion between Jig and the man is unclear and
unresolved. In his minimalist style, Hemingway never mentions what the "it" is that
the couple discuss as they converse. Jig tells the man that things are "like white
elephants," suggesting that the baby she carries is symbolically a "white
elephant" as are the distant hills.
Thus, the setting is the chief
source of symbols. With the railroad tracks as symbolic of the divide between Jig who is
romantic and optimistic and the nameless man who is practical and coldly objective, one side of
the tracks has fertile land with vegetation while the other is barren. In the distance are the
hills which symbolize the dissention between the couple. They possess something which is of no
value anymore:
"Then what will we do
afterwards?" [Jig asks]"We'll be fine afterwards. Just like we
were before.""What makes you think so?"
In the end, the man says, "I'd better take the bags over to
the other side of the station," indicating symbolically that he is becoming alienated from
her.
No comments:
Post a Comment