Hills Like White Elephants: The Symbolism of the Setting In Ernest Hemingway's story "Hills Like White Elephants" an American couple is sitting at a table in a train station in Spain. They are discussing beer, travel, and whether or not to have an abortion. The train station and its surroundings are symbolic in this story. The station itself represents the choice on whether or not to have the abortion. There is a set of tracks on either side of the station, each representing one of the choices. On one side of the station, the tracks run through a lush, green landscape full of grainfield