HLWE Plot Diagram
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Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway
Lesson Plans by Kristy Littlehale
Students will likely have differing viewpoints and feelings about abortion, as it is a very emotionally-charged political issue. That is what makes “Hills Like White Elephants” an excellent tool to use to teach about a controversial topic, and have students be able to discuss their ideas in an academic manner.
![Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Summary](http://cdn.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-cells/2904286/cell-col-1-row-0-w400.png "Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Summary")
![Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - Literary Conflict in "Hills Like White Elephants"](http://cdn.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-cells/2904294/cell-col-0-row-0-w400.png "Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - Literary Conflict in "Hills Like White Elephants"")
![Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Themes and Symbols](http://cdn.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-cells/2904308/cell-col-0-row-0-w400.png "Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Themes and Symbols")
![Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Visual Vocabulary](http://cdn.storyboardthat.com/storyboard-cells/2904331/cell-col-1-row-0-w400.png "Hills Like White Elephants By Ernest Hemingway - "Hills Like White Elephants" Visual Vocabulary")
Storyboard Description
Hills Like White Elephants Summary | Have students create a plot diagram detailing the events of the short story "Hills Like White Elephants"
Storyboard Text
- EXPOSITION
- CONFLICT
- RISING ACTION
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- An American man and a girl named Jig wait at a train station in northern Spain near the Ebro River. They are waiting for a train to Madrid. As they sit in the station, they order two beers and the girl gazes at a line of distant hills.
- CLIMAX
- Jig thinks the hills look like white elephants. The man quickly replies that he hasn’t ever seen one. When Jig says, “You wouldn’t have,” he says that he might have seen one. There is tension as they discuss an operation the man is trying to put Jig at ease about having.
- FALLING ACTION
- Jig wonders what will happen after the operation. The man says they’ll be happy again and go back to how they were before. Jig wonders if it will make the man love her like he used to. He thinks it’s the best thing to do, but she doesn’t have to if she doesn't want to.
- RESOLUTION
- Jig says she will go through with the operation. She seems to just want to make him happy, but the man doesn’t want her to do it for him. Jig tells the man that they could have had everything, but not anymore. Something will be taken away.
- The man again tells her that he’s willing to go through with it if it means anything to her. Jig wonders if it means anything to him. He says it does, and he doesn’t want anyone but her. She tells him to stop talking and threatens to scream if he doesn’t.
- The train will arrive in 5 minutes, so man takes the bags over to the other tracks. He has a drink at the bar and comes back to Jig. She smiles at him, and when he asks if she feels better, she tells him there’s nothing wrong with her; she feels fine.
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