Hills Like White Elephants

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorCollege, Undergraduate February 2008

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This story, Hills Like White Elephants, is taken form the Objective (dramatic) point of view where the author is the narrator. The author doesn't enter the mind of the characters at any time. He allows us only to see the characters as we would in real life. This is sometimes called the dramatic point of view. The only way we, the reader, learn anything about them is through what they say about themselves.

If the story were told from another point of view it would change completely. If told from the Omniscient point of view, where the author tells the story, the story would have been more informative and descriptive. This point of view is where the author assumes complete knowledge of the characters' actions and thoughts. With this point of view the author can move at will from one place to another and from one character to another and can even speak their views directly to the reader as the story goes along.

With this point of view the story would have been easier to follow and the reader would have been better about to understand the character and their feelings. Form the Limited omniscient point of view. The author still narrates the story but restricts or limits their revelation of the thoughts of all but one character. With this point of view in the story the reader can be put into the mind of one of the character again helping to better understand their feelings and thoughts. The reader will be able to know why things happen and what the character's attitude is at that time. Another point of view is the First-person point of view where the author is even more restricted. One of the characters tells the story omitting the author as the narrator.