The Pragmatics of Evasion: Conversational Implicature in Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants

Abstract

Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory relies heavily on omission and subtext, yet traditional criticism often lacks a linguistic explanation for how implicit meaning is constructed. Drawing on Pragmatic Stylistics and Grice’s Cooperative Principle, this study analyzes conversational implicatures in Hills Like White Elephants. The analysis shows that the protagonists repeatedly flout conversational maxims, generating implicatures that reveal psychological tension and interpersonal conflict. These pragmatic deviations function as strategies of evasion through which the characters avoid emotional confrontation and moral responsibility. The study argues that pragmatic non-cooperation is a key mechanism through which Hemingway creates narrative depth and emotional ambiguity.