How does Ernest Hemingway's minimalist writing style convey emotion and subtext in "Hills Like White Elephants"?

Ernest Hemingway's minimalist writing style in "Hills Like White Elephants" conveys emotion and subtext in several ways:

1. Dialogue: Hemingway uses dialogue as a primary tool for conveying emotion and subtext. The characters' conversations are terse and often indirect, leaving much to be inferred by the reader. This allows Hemingway to convey complex emotions and underlying tensions without explicitly stating them.

2. Symbolism: Hemingway's minimalist style also relies heavily on symbolism. The title itself, "Hills Like White Elephants," is a symbol that suggests the looming decision about an abortion. The white elephant is a metaphor for something that is unwanted or burdensome.

3. Setting: The setting of the story, a train station situated between two tracks, symbolizes the decision that the characters face - two paths leading in different directions. The barren landscape on one side of the station represents the idea of life without a child, while the fertile fields on the other side represent the potential for a life with a child.

4. Character Actions: Hemingway uses the characters' actions to convey emotion and subtext. For example, the man's insistence on ordering more drinks, despite the woman's reluctance, suggests his desire to avoid the issue at hand.

5. Iceberg Theory: Hemingway's minimalist style is often referred to as the "Iceberg Theory," the idea that the deeper meaning of a story should not be evident on the surface, but should shine through implicitly. In "Hills Like White Elephants," much of the story's emotional weight and subtext is hidden beneath the surface of the dialogue and action, much like an iceberg that shows only a small portion of its mass above the water.

Through these techniques, Hemingway's minimalist writing style effectively conveys emotion and subtext in "Hills Like White Elephants."