“Hills Like White Elephants” is a modernist short story. Modernist writers were known for experimenting with both content and form in their storytelling—in other words, they changed the focus of literature (moving from heroic characters to alienated ones) and also altered the general approach to literature (shifting from traditional story structures to fragmented and confusing ones). This was a reaction to the changes taking place in the 20th century, such as rapid industrialization, a growing class divide, and the devastation of World War I.
“Hills Like White Elephants” has several elements that characterize it as a modernist piece of literature. First, Hemingway’s minimalist writing style prevents readers from feeling close to the characters, understanding exactly what is going on, or feeling clear about what they’re supposed to take from the story. This is intentional—in Hemingway’s stories, the characters feel alienated from each other and readers are, likewise, supposed to feel alienated from them. In the same way that the girl in the story bristles in reaction to the man’s cloaked language about her abortion, readers are supposed to bristle, too.
The ending of the story is also ambiguous and unresolved, a common element of modernist literature. Modernist writing embraces realism, meaning it tries to capture life as it truly is, and, realistically speaking, couples often leave tense conversations unresolved. Hemingway wants readers to leave confused and dissatisfied as, in his mind, these feelings accurately reflect what it was like to exist as a person in the early 20th century.
