Reflection: Hills Like White Elephants

The recent reading of Hills Like White Elepahnts was very interesting. This short story by Hemingway proved to be a lot more than I initially thought it was. After reading the the short, 2 1/2 page story, I didn't really take anything away from it. To me, it seemed kind of like a pointless and irrational story. It was not until the class after the reading that I began to realize that this story actually contained a very interesting and intellectual combination of symbols and themes. Both the significance of the actual problem that the couple was discussing and the meaning that "white elephants" portrayed really turned the tables and caused a whole new spin to be put on the story. Not only did it now seem more complex, but it also led to a further characterization of the simple actions and dialogue that take place between the two partners. From now on, I will try harder to sift through simple sentences and dialogue in order to uncover the hidden meaning behind stories that are seemingly pointless and/or irrevelant.