In Ernest Hemingway's short story, "Hills Like White Elephants," alcohol is incorporated into the story with the same attention to detail as a primary character. At the beginning of the story, Jig orders a large beer, and from that moment, the concept of alcoholism is woven through the plot and it's effects are revealed in the lives of Hemingway's characters. Hemingway's characters believe that drinking alcohol will help them work through, or avoid, difficulties in their lives. For a while they are talking about drinks, and at one point the girl says "That's all we do isn't it-look at things and try new drinks?"(Hemingway 97) This is not the statement of someone who is in a healthy relationship, in fact she is questioning the value of the relationship, she is not happy with her life when she is saying this statement, she's lacking a deeper level in her life, and suddenly Jig's life is looking kind of shallow, maybe the relationship is looking just as shallow. Perhaps this is what she wanted, but something has happen that made her change her mind, or change her perspective on the relationship. Sure enough after this talk of going back and forward, not really connecting with each other, they seem to be dancing around some issue. In fact they are avoiding the elephant in the room, which is an expression to say that they are avoiding the big issue that they're both aware of, and they're both thinking about, but they just don't want to talk about it. .
Finally, the man burst out "It's an awfully simple operation, Jig, it's not really and operation at all."(Hemingway 97) They've not talked about a procedure previously in the story, this is just erupting out of him, and it has to do with what is really bothering him. He keeps on insisting that is not that big of a deal, that it is a small procedure, and that he will be there for her while is been done. The American thinks this will solve the problem, whatever the problem is.
