"Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway Literary Analysis

     In "Hills Like White Elephants", Ernest Hemingway details the conversation between a man and a girl as they avoid discussing a life altering decision while they wait for a train to take them to their future. Hemingway's use of reticent symbolism and dialect characterize the unsuccessful relationship between the two, accentuating the necessity of honesty and communication within partnerships.
     Throughout the piece, Hemingway uses various elements of fictional craft to illuminate the importance of communication and an honest bond within a relationship. Hemingway uses various symbols throughout the text to emphasize his message. For example, by constantly referring to the "two lines of rails" throughout the work, Hemingway highlights the dysfunctional relationship between the man and the girl, symbolizing them as two "rails" that are metaphorically set in stone in their decisions and will never cross paths. Also, Hemingway uses beer as a symbol of miscommunication between the pair as it is a constant theme and the two are never pictured without a drink. The alcohol acts as a focal symbol in this piece to expose the way the two main characters avoid their decision and communication on the matter at all costs. Similarly, the author employs dialect as a way of characterizing the relationship as unsuccessful and solidifying the importance of communication and honesty. As the couple interact, they talk in short, blunt sentences, only skimming the surface of their issue surrounding the operation. As so, dialect depicts the surface level relationship between the two due to the lack of communication, unveiled though their strange talking, and ultimately dishonesty. In conclusion, Hemingway's use of symbolism and dialect characterize the couples relationship, redefining the necessity of communication and honesty within a relationship.