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Barren/Fertile Land
The events in the story are suffused with the pounding light of the sun and the heat it produces. From the story’s opening we are aware of the sun’s heat, drying the grass of the hills, driving passengers into the shade of the station’s bar and the comfort of drink. Yet while the light can be seen as harsh, it also represents the light of truth and honesty, which neither the man nor the girl is willing to face. Instead, the two prefer to avoid honestly discussing the serious problems in their relationship. Neither has the strength to face the issue of the abortion head on, and as a result, both spar in the “warm shadow” of the bar, discussing everything except the real terms of their crumbling relationship. The light may be harsh then, but avoiding the light as the man and girl do is portrayed as destructive.
Light Quotes in Hills Like White Elephants
The Hills Like White Elephants quotes below all refer to the symbol of Light. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Hills Like White Elephants
Quotes
“Come on back in the shade,” he said. “You mustn’t feel that way.”
“I don’t feel any way,” the girl said. “I just know things.”
Related Characters:
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Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Light Symbol Timeline in Hills Like White Elephants
The timeline below shows where the symbol Light appears in Hills Like White Elephants. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Hills Like White Elephants
...station located in Spain’s Ebro valley. In these opening details the landscape’s barren, hot, and shadeless nature is emphasized. Into this landscape appear an American man and his female partner, called...
(full context)
...talking. The girl is staring at the distant hills, which are brightly lit in the sunlight, though otherwise barren in appearance. The girl makes a seemingly innocent remark to the man...
(full context)
...barren hills look fertile, full of grain and trees, a river far off, and “the shadow of a cloud.” The beauty of the scene compels her to remark aloud that she...
(full context)
