“They look like white elephants” says a girl, referring to a burden that is never called by its name in the story. Although the girl and her partner converse throughout the story, neither speaker truly communicates with the other, highlighting the distance between the two. Both speak, but neither listens to or understands the other's point of view. The 1920s had a political and social phenomenon that clearly influenced Ernest Hemingway's “The Hills Like White Elephants.” In 1918, a year after graduating from high school in Oak Park, Illinois, Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) volunteered as an ambulance driver in World War I. On the Italian front he was seriously wounded. This experience haunted him and many of the characters in his stories and novels. In Our Time (1925) is a collection of short stories, including "Soldier's Home", which reflect some of Hemingway's attempts to readjust to life in his homeland after the war. The Sun Also Rises (1926), A Farewell to Arms (1929) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) also deal with war and its impact on people's lives. Hemingway courted violence throughout his life in war, in the arena, in the ring and in big game hunting. When he was sixty-two years old and terminally ill with cancer, he committed suicide by shooting himself with a rifle. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Ernest Hemingway's short story "The Hills Like White Elephants" focuses on the couple traveling from Barcelona to Madrid. They are waiting for the train in a bar and have a conversation about the decision they have made. A couple who is thinking of having an abortion is an American man who is quite sure of his decision, and a Jig girl who is hesitant. The story ends with an indeterminate ending, giving the opportunity to think about the story independently. Hemingway's use of symbolism in “Hills Like White Elephants” shows that they continued on the expected path and that historical and social context has a great influence in this story. Hemingway features two main characters. An American is older and speaks Spanish. For him "everything" seems to mean a freedom, so when we talk about it intensely, we risk losing it. A girl nicknamed Jig is younger, doesn't speak Spanish and needs a man's help to understand the world outside, for her "everything" seems to mean a child, settling down and starting a family with the man next to her. The girl's inability to speak Spanish to the waitress demonstrates her dependence on the American, but also the difficulty she has in expressing herself with him. Both characters are flat, their characteristics are simple and can be briefly described, although Jig becomes dynamic towards the end. Jig refers to a child, “…And once they take him away, you'll never get him back.” While the American thinks that they will be happy without a child, “...You don't have to be afraid. I've met so many people who have done it." To this Jig sarcastically replies, "Me too." “And everyone was so happy afterwards.” They discuss their “everything,” which really means their different points of view on the world. “Everything” in the story illustrates that the American definitely wants Jig to have surgery. Even though he says, “If you don't want to, you don't have to.” I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to", is not sincere. His honesty in this dialogue is questionable. From his previous statements it is clear that he does not want to settle down, nor does he want to take responsibility for an operation; it is clear that he strongly wants she undergoes this operation and certainly seems to remain deaf to her wishes. The beginning of a story has the description of a land with a stationrailway located in Spain. There are two sides of the tracks where Jig and the man wait for the train: “On this side there was no shade or trees…” And “…on the other side there were cornfields and trees…” The author describes the shadow of a cloud on the field of smile where Jig stood. The shadow of the cloud can be accepted as a literary symbol of impending troubles. The setting is important in this story road to Madrid where they are headed has a negative description of the land without trees and without shade, which if Jig will abort. The ground looks dry, as if it has not rained for a long time. There are hills in the distance that have a white color when the sun shines on them. And a road to Barcelona that vividly depicts life. The Ebro River represents life, as it waters the fields. The wheat fields and trees also represent fertility and fruitfulness , what are known in history as the "Roaring Twenties", with the prohibition of alcohol, flapper culture, bohemian life and the expansion of women's rights. The ban was caused by women, who believed it would protect families, women and children from the effects of alcohol abuse. The ban has only been successful in some parts of the country, while others have had its "side effects", such as alcohol poisoning and increased lawlessness. The Mafia became more powerful thanks to Prohibition. Arguments raged over the effectiveness of the ban. The more limited people are, the more eager they are to do it and long to find a way. This is how flapper culture appears, recognized mainly by women's short haircuts, unlikely by women's behavior such as smoking cigarettes and becoming sexually more free than the previous generation. Modern society appeared in fashion, jazz and women gained the right to vote. This was the beginning of the propaganda of the good life of women in Hollywood, which in turn advertised freedom among people also known as bohemian people. The bohemian lifestyle rejected permanent residence, the pursuit of wealth, alcohol and restrictions on sexual freedom. Because the characters in “White Hills Like Elephants” live in the 1920s, they are affected by a period of prohibition and a bohemian lifestyle. They can see this by traveling in Europe, drinking and having freedom in choosing a partner. “… there is a common bond between Jig and the man;… We know that the couple were lovers, which means that at some point in their lives they had a common 'level' of communication…”. The relationship between Jig and the American clearly represents the bohemian lifestyle. However, since the bohemian lifestyle rejects the permanent relationship, "their efforts are futile and we see, after knowing that they have cured every style of communication, that their relationship and their feelings for each other, once alive, is now dead and empty. It's time for them to separate, as would two people who met one evening and discovered that they had nothing in common”, their relationship must be defined to define the further direction. At the beginning the story seems to be one conversation We see a hint of the topic in the way the man addresses Jig: “It's really a terribly simple operation, Jig,”… “It's not an operation at all.” his abortion as an operation. The title also reveals a child, which for the characters means a figurative elephant. A burdensome or expensive goal, especially one that appears magnificent; , from the story we see that a Jig hesitates on her decision to have an abortion. A child is considered a financial burden and responsibility. “As Kenneth G. Johnston writes, instinct=13211.