"Hills Like White Elephants" Summary
...tory, the two characters converse with one another about an unnamed topic. As they drink beer, the girl begins to notice the hills look like "white elephants." They go on to argue about the significance of seeing a white elephant, but then their conversation abruptly changes subject. The man mentions an operation that the woman may have. He tries to convince her that everything will be better after the operation, but the woman thinks otherwise. She has doubts in her mind, but wants to make her boyfriend happy. As the story winds down, it is unsure whether or not the woman will go through with the operation. The characterization in "Hills Like White Elephants" is also a significant part of the story. The woman, Jig is portrayed as very caring and loving, but yearns for the feeling of being loved. Her self-esteem is substantially low because of her willingness to make the man happy, disregarding her own feelings. However, the man is very cunning and persuasive. He tries to reassure her that he loves her, but hints that Jig should go through with the surgery. It's also obvious that he is self-centered bec...