In his minimalistic writing style, Ernest Hemingway expertly depicts the struggle that a young couple faces in making a choice that would change their lives. In Hills like White Elephants, an American man tries to convince his girlfriend, Jig, to proceed with an abortion so that their care-free lifestyle can continue the way it had been. Contrary to this, the girl desires a life of fertility and stability, yet does not want to disappoint the man. For the rest of the narrative the couple uneasily talks to each other, trying not to step on each other’s toes. These conflicting desires are shown through the dialogue of the characters and are mirrored more strongly through the setting of the story. Though he never explicitly states what the issue is, Hemingway’s use of scenery helps to depict the substantial decision of having the baby or not and the impact of that choice. Hemingway uses scenery to illustrate the impact of decisions through the use of the train station, the bamboo curtain, and the outside landscape. 

“Hills like White Elephants” depicts the couple at a crossroads not only in their relationship, but in their lives. This idea is echoed by the fact that they are in the middle of their journey at a train station for the duration of the story. It is almost as if everything was forced to a stop while they try to come to a decision on the baby. Before they arrived, their lives were spontaneous and care free. This is shown in the text by the fact that the couple is unmarried and having a baby and when Jig states that all they ever do is “look at things and try new drinks” (Hemingway 528). They were on the fast train through life, enjoying anything they desired without thinking about the consequences. All of this was halted by the fact that they have a decision to make about whether to have the baby and slow down, or to abort it and continue the way they were going. The train station is essentially the middle ground, where the couple is forced to decide which direction, or train, to take. No matter which they choose, however, nothing will ever return to the way things were before. If Jig chooses to keep the baby, the American man could resent her for giving up his hedonistic life-style. He states in the text that the baby is “the only thing that’s made us unhappy”, and the couple could only “have everything” if the baby was aborted (529). On the other hand, if she aborts the baby, she might constantly feel melancholy about what could have been. She sarcastically responds to the man that others who have had the procedure were “so happy” (529). The train they were on before just kept on moving through the station and they must now choose which train to proceed on. Towards the end of the story the man takes their bags to the other side of the station and “looks up the tracks but could not see the train” (530). Going along with the idea that train means a decision, the man not seeing the train shows that a definitive answer is still in the air at the end. The man does not know what the girl will choose to do and cannot see the train she will take in life. Through these symbols, Hemingway elaborates on the fact that every decision is final and no matter what choice they make, they can’t return to how they were before. 

After the train station, the second element of scenery that Hemingway uses to depict decisions is the bamboo curtain. This small part of the scenery separates the couple at their seat, from the bar inside, just as the baby in Jig divides the couple from their carefree lifestyle. The bar inside represents their old way of life, filled with drinking and traveling. Their suitcases were covered with “labels from all the hotels where they had spent nights” and all they did was “look at things and try new drinks” (530). Though the man desires to keep this lifestyle, Jigs pregnancy creates a divide. They continuously try to get drinks from inside the bar, yet the new drink they try simply tastes of licorice as Jig says, and does not appeal to her (528). Preventing the couple, and especially Jig, from enjoying afternoon, the baby forces the couple to decide which lifestyle they want to choose. Their hedonistic lifestyle no longer appeals to the girl, while to the man they would only be happy if they aborted the baby. Therefore, the baby keeps the couple from their old life. He desires to continue living the way they were and only thinks it is possible to have “everything” if the baby was gone. In response to the man the girl touches the curtain as she states “you think then we’ll be alright and happy?” as if she wonders if the old life will make them happy again (529). As the curtain divides the bar from the couple, the pregnancy divides that lifestyle from the couple.  This shows the dividing effects that a difficult decision can have on people, who once wanted similar things.

Lastly, the description of the landscape around the train station, is extremely important in describing decisions that must be made and the consequences of each choice. Surrounding the train station on one side the sun beat down on a dry, barren country side lacking any fruitful plants or animals (527). This side of the valley represents the choice to abort the baby and never allow it to spring forth into life. On this barren side, Jig contemplates the fact that in giving up the child, she would be saving her relationship with the man but losing the life of fertility. Without a baby the man tries to convince her that they could “have the whole world”, but jig replies that they couldn’t because “it isn’t ours anymore” (530). When Jig looks to the other side she sees a very different picture. Here there were “fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away beyond the river, were mountains” (Hemingway 529). Representing fertility, Jig sees the benefits to having the baby in the larger mountains that spring forth into life. Realizing, also, that getting rid of the baby is permanent she states “once they take it away, you never get it back” (530). This fruitful picture is soon covered by a shadow representing that the happiness of the baby might be overshadowed by the lost relationship with the man if she chooses this side. When the man said, “I don’t want anybody but you”, he made it clear that he does not want the baby in their lives and in keeping the baby Jig risks upsetting the man (530). The landscape in this story most effectively shows the theme of decisions by the use of contrasting scenes on each side. A person cannot have it both ways. Eventually they must make a choice and live with the benefits and consequences that come with that choice.

In conclusion, Ernest Hemingway uses the setting of “Hills like White Elephants” to display the deeper meaning of the text. The conflict of the story is never stated, however by the use of the train station, the curtain to the bar and the scenery outside, the reader can understand that there is a choice to be made for the characters. The three elements show a couple stuck in the middle with conflicting ideas trying to choose which life is the best for both of them. Though a decision is not definitively met by the end of the story, these three elements show the impact of decisions. Overall, the setting contributes to this theme by mirroring and illustrating what is going on in the story to create a stronger message. This story teaches that every choice, to some degree, is final, has the power to separate people from how they once lived and has consequences that cannot be avoided. 