The Necklace

A detailed Summary of The Necklace

In "Hills Like White Elephants" Ernest Hemingway relies on symbolism to convey the theme of abortion. The symbolic material objects, as well as the strong symbolic characters, aid the reader's understanding of the underlying theme.

The material objects that Hemingway uses to convey the theme are beer, the good and bad hillsides, and a railroad station between two tracks. The beer represents the couple's, "the American" and "the girl's", usual routine activity they do together. This bothers the girl because "that's all [they] do ... look at things and try new drinks." This shows that the girl is tired of doing the same thing and wants to do something different, like having a baby and a family, instead of fooling around all the time. She wants to stop being a girl and become a woman. Hemingway then presents the reader with two contrasting hills. One hill on one side of the station is dull, desolate, and barren; "it had no shade and no trees", very desert like. However, the other hill on the other side of the station is beautiful, plentiful in nature, and had "fields of grain and tress along the banks of the Ebro River." Also on each side of the station where each hill is, there is a train track. These objects are symbolic devices p

repare the reader in realizing that the characters are in a place of decision. The railroad station is a place of decision where one must decide to go one way or the other. The tracks symbolize either decision that the girl must make. By the looks of the environment around each track, it is clear what kind of destination each track leads to. This proves that the girl must decide whether she wants her body and life to become barren and desolate or plentiful and beautiful. If she chooses abortion, then, of course, she will choose the track with the desolate hills because her body will become a barren desert where no life will abide. On the other hand if she wants to have the baby, she will choose the track which is surrounded by the plentiful and beautiful hills, because her body will be a genisis. Either way, this clearly conveys the theme of abortion by showing that the girl must make a life or death decision.

In conclusion, the theme of abortion is conveyed accurately by Hemingway and is done very well. This reader believes that because of the strong symbolism in the characters, as well as the material objects, the theme was conveyed to the audience with entertainment, ease, understanding, and brilliance.

Along with symbolic objects, three symbolic characters further develop the theme of abortion. The three characters are "th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Usually Americans, Ebro River, Ernest Hemingway, theme abortion, American American, material objects, trying drinks, hill station, baby bothers, railroad station, hemingway reader, drinks girl, girl woman, baby ruin,

Approximate Word count = 902
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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The Necklace

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