Linguistic Analysis of "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway

Term Paper , 2025 , 16 Pages , Grade: 1,7

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

This term paper offers an in-depth analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s short story Hills Like White Elephants, focusing on both literary and linguistic dimensions. Through close reading, it explores power dynamics, symbolic imagery, and communication breakdown between the characters—particularly surrounding the unspoken topic of abortion. Using rhetorical and grammatical analysis, as well as concepts like pronoun use, modal verbs, and narrative perspective, the paper reveals how Hemingway’s minimalist style conveys emotional complexity through subtle implication rather than direct expression. A valuable resource for students of literature, linguistics, and modernist narrative technique.

• College: University of Osnabrück (Institut für Amerikanistik und Anglistik)
• Course: Advanced Reading
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Felix Konermann (Author)
• Publication Year: 2025
• Pages: 16
• Catalog Number: V1599935
• ISBN (PDF): 9783389148600
• Language: English
• Tags: Ernest Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants, Literary analysis, Linguistic analysis, Modernist literature, Minimalism in Literature, Rhetorical devices, Narrative perspective, Gender and communication, Hemingway analysis, Literary studies