Frank Foley
FRANK FOLEY
HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANTS
Hemingway, Ernest
Published: 1927
Category: Short Story
Themes: power and control between men and women; fertility and freedom;
Overview
From the collection, Men without Women, published in 1927, Hemingway's much anthologised story is a masterpiece of timing, stripped dialogue and stylistic economy. That Hills leaves out so much, and is yet still so full of meaning and tension is testament to its success.
Frank's highlight!
Jig's request for him to stop talking, with it's seven "pleases" is what I consider to be an example of perfect timing in prose fiction. Perfect writing.
Life-affirming / uplifting message
Jig's sensibility, idealism and vision have, for me, weighed against, if not evenly balanced, the bleakness of this story. His unrelenting pressure to get his way, and the reality of what they face whatever they choose to do, are plainly stark. But Jig's emotional demand that he stop talking, is a sign that she will fight for both her lives.
Life wisdom
The balance of compromise in relationships - There's a fine and ultimately subjective balance to how much one should compromise in a relationship. There is no general guide, but not allowing yourself to be pressured into accepting someone else's unreasonable wants is a start. Jig knows what she wants, but she just has no time to think under his constant pressure. Her request for him to stop talking is a plea for space.
A Personal Note
One of my favourite Hemingway stories! From a writer's perspective it is structurally exquisite. I love the forty-minute (until the train comes) time frame sprinkled with intense dialogue, taking only a few minutes, but through which so much is communicated. Also, Hemingway's weaving of symbolism into the story's setting is beautifully done. It never leaves me this story, and from time to time I find myself thinking of Jig, and whether she made it out OK.
Quoted passages
QUOTE: "The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies. The American and the girl with him sat at a table in the shade, outside the building. It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid."