True Love that is Never Really Found

Problems or mole hills have a way sometimes of turning into mountains of problems when they are not approached right. In reality some hills should be avoided completely. In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants, we find an unmarried couple facing a problem. The young girl Jig is pregnant by an American who is trying to talk her into getting an abortion.

While waiting at a train station in Spain the American attempts to persuade Jig to have an abortion. During the time that he is trying to convince her to have the "very simple operation," she is looking out into the hills and imagines the hills are white elephants. The American says he has never seen white elephants. The white elephants are probably some symbolism of pregnancy for him. The couple's conversation centers around their happiness being connected to her having an abortion. Jig's youthful naivety is displayed in her saying, "But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you'll love it?" The American places the couple's happiness upon whether the young girl has an abortion or not.

Just as the white elephants are seen in the distance by the girl, the white can also be symbolic of her innocence lost. Another symbolism could be the suitcases at the train station in the story. The American is packed and ready to go. He is waiting for the train but the train could go in ither direction. He does not want to held down by the white elephant of a child yet to be born. He has no children attached to him accept that of Jig's youthful knowledge. It is her lack of knowledge that perhaps also attracts the American. What innocence that is left of Jig keeps her pleasing him. In the end she decides she doesn't want anyone but him. A statement that could cost her herself. Just as abortions sometimes leaves women barren, decisions in life can also leave us barren of ourselves

Although Hills Like White Elephants was written in 1927 it transcends time, with innocence being manipulated away. For is there anything more purely sought after than true love that is never really found?