Key Concepts
Which literary genre does the story "Hills Like White Elephants" belong to?
1) Minimalist short fiction. 2) Modernist verse narrative. 3) Post-symbolist prose poem. 4) Psychological micro-novella. 5) Dialogic travel narrative
1) Minimalist short fiction
What is the main symbolic meaning of the blue sky that Louise sees from her window in “The Story of an Hour”?
The blue sky symbolizes freedom, possibility, and a new sense of life. It reflects Louise’s feeling of liberation from the constraints of her marriage and Victorian societal expectations of womanhood. The open sky contrasts with her domestic confinement, emphasizing the emotional and existential release she experiences.
Please identify one symbol in Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and briefly explain it.
The white hills symbolize both barrenness and fertility. Their shape is compared to a pregnant belly, linking them to the pregnancy at the story’s center. At the same time, the term “white elephant” suggests an unwanted burden, reflecting how the man views the pregnancy. The contrast between the dry, white hills and the green river and fertile fieldsemphasizes the tension between sterility and life, burden and potential, mirroring Jig’s emotional conflict and the choice she faces.
Fill in the blank: Hemingway was a key figure in the development of American literary __________.
1) realism 2) modernism 3) romanticism
modernism
Which in-text citation is correct?
A) Pizer argues that the presence of characters who display an exceptional moral sense often challenges the traditional definition of literary realism which has been concerned with norm-based, common narratives (Pizer 263).
B) Pizer argues that the presence of characters who display an exceptional moral sense often challenges the traditional definition of literary realism which has been concerned with norm-based, common narratives (263).
B
Please name three characteristics of a short story
•Brevity and compression
•Suggestiveness creates suspense, tension
•The overall effect on the reader is paramount
How does internal focalization in a heterodiegetic narrative shape the reader’s understanding of Louise’s emotional transition from grief to “monstrous joy”?
Internal focalization allows the reader to access Louise’s inner thoughts and feelings while the story is narrated from a heterodiegetic perspective (an outside narrator). This combination creates intimacy and immediacy, showing the intense shift from sorrow at her husband’s presumed death to a liberating, almost overwhelming joy, which would be less vivid if told entirely from an external viewpoint.
Please identify three central themes in Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”.
1) Choice vs Responsibility (parenting vs operation)
2) Miscommunication and verbal manipulation
2) Disconnect: a strained relationship; silencing of women
Taking into account "Hills Like White Elephants", what is the importance of Hemingway's minimalist style? What does it have to do with the iceberg theory?
Hemingway utilizes a minimalist style defined by brevity and compression, which is intrinsically linked to his Iceberg Theory. This theory states that only one-eighth of the narrative needs to be explicit, allowing a writer to omit known details while ensuring the reader strongly feels the submerged seven-eighths of the truth. In "Hills Like White Elephants," this technique places the story’s power in the dialogue, specifically in the pauses, irony, repetitions, and what is not said.
What is wrong here?
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "The Great Gatsby", Collins Classics, 2020.
The title should be in italics since it is a book. Plus, we need a period after the title instead of the comma.
What is the “preconceived effect” in literary composition, and which author argued for its importance?
The “preconceived effect” is the central emotional or psychological impact that an author deliberately plans beforewriting, shaping every element of the text so that all words, incidents, and structural choices work together toward producing that one unified impression in the reader.
This idea—that a literary work must be constructed with absolute artistic control to achieve a single, harmonious effect—was argued by Edgar Allan Poe in “The Philosophy of Composition” (1846), where he insists that such unity is essential to true artistic craftsmanship and is achievable only in shorter forms like the short story or poem.
How does Chopin’s concise, tightly structured narrative (form) enhance the portrayal of Louise’s sudden emotional transformation and the story’s themes of freedom and confinement (content)?
Chopin’s concise and tightly structured form mirrors the brevity and intensity of Louise’s emotional experience. By compressing the story into a single hour, every word, sentence, and image is carefully chosen to reflect her rapid psychological transition from grief to “monstrous joy.”
The short, focused form heightens the contrast between her domestic confinement (symbolized by the chair and closed room) and the open possibilities of freedom (symbolized by the blue sky and sparrows), reinforcing the themes of liberation and societal constraint.
The economy of the narrative also amplifies the shock of the denouement, making her sudden death and the ironic reversal of freedom more impactful, demonstrating how form and content work together to create the story’s emotional and thematic effect.
As we discussed in the lecture, identify four possible interpretations of the ending of Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” focusing on Jig’s decision and the future of her relationship with the American.
(1)Jig gives in and agrees to have the abortion
(2)she says she is “fine“ to end the conversation; they are both drunk by now and no decision has been made
(3)He goes to the train station, she remains seated. Jig decidesto keep the baby but “aborts“ the man from her life
(4)Jig and the American will have the baby; he supports her decision and will care for the baby
Please provide four main features of literary modernism and explain each in 1-2 sentences (go beyond mentioning "minimalist style").
1. Break with traditional forms and narrative structure Modernism rejected nineteenth-century traditions, including the conventions of realism and the established consensus between the author and the reader. In fiction, writers upset chronological development, while poets often rejected traditional meters in favor of free verse.
2. Themes of alienation, fragmentation, and disillusionment. A central characteristic of modernism was its focus on these complex and often difficult themes. This thematic focus was often a direct response to the impact of World War I, industrialization, and urbanization on society and the human condition.
3. Experimentation with stream of consciousness and symbolism Modernist writers adopted complex and difficult new forms and styles to explore the inner self.. Authors such as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf developed new ways of tracing the flow of characters' thoughts using stream-of-consciousness styles. Furthermore, poets used collages of fragmentary images and complex allusions instead of the logical exposition of thoughts.
4. Focus on the inner self and subjectivity. Modernist literature aimed to shift focus toward the subjective experience of characters. This interest in psychological depth and moral complexity led modernists to explore the consequences of living in a disenchanted age and reject idealized notions.
1) According to Mla 9th, how should we proceed if we want to add words to the text cited?
2) What do we do if we want to omit words?
3) What should we do if we quote more than four lines of prose?
1) put the additional words into brackets
2) omission dots but no brackets
3) use block quotations and indent the text