Hills Like White Elephants

Hemingway is one of the first and foremost Western authors to utilize the minimalist style, which involves paring a narrative back to its most spare iteration, in terms of not only language but also narrative focus. In “Hills Like White Elephants,” minimalism is clear in the direct dialogue with very few dialogue tags, and in the economical narrative description. It is also clear in the narrow focus of the story, which centers on one conversation, takes place in one setting, and over a very short period—and the reader is given very little information about the characters’ pasts or their relationship. Due to the story’s painstakingly restrained portrayal and expression, the reader must consider every word carefully, and every element becomes fraught with meaning.

Although this story is very minimal stylistically, symbols abound in this short piece. The very setting—with the juxtaposition between the barren, dry side of the station and the fertile fields and river across the tracks—highlights the characters’ current lifestyle and its contrasts with the more fertile possibilities that Jig can see across the tracks. When coupled with minimalism,