Abortion In Hills Like White Elephants, By Ernest Hemingway

Close interpretation of the story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway leads the reader to an issue that has plagued society for decades. Understanding of the human condition is unveiled in the story line, the main setting, and through the character representation. The main characters in the story are an American man and a female named Jig. The conflict about abortions is an issue that still faces society today. Architectural and atmospheric symbolisms are used to set the mood and outline the human condition. The love bond between the man and Jig is strong; however, the more powerful bond between Jig and her unborn child is sacred.

“Hills Like White Elephants” displays the differences in how a man and a woman may view pregnancy and abortion. Jig, a woman, sees pregnancy as a beautiful aspect in life. Hemingway uses symbolism in the couple’s conversation to imply the woman’s pregnancy. The woman refers to the nearby hills on the train platform as elephants; “They look like white elephants”. She compares the hills to her own situation, pregnancy; “They’re lovely hills. They don’t really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees.”

Most men side with the men, and most women side with women. In the short story Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemingway explores a power dynamic through a situation that is still controversial today. While this short story explores the decision-making process between a girl and a man, the controversy arises: whose decision is it? This power struggle for a decision that, arguably, mainly affects the life of the girl. While the man may choose to wish to be a part of the child’s life, the pregnancy and abortion is solely affecting the girl, not the man. Hemingway strips the girl of any authority and knowledge by differing between girl and woman, yet by closely examining the interactions between the girl and the man, it is the girl remains authoritative over the decision of a possible abortion.

The final theme derived from this story is how men and women relate to each other. Most of Hemingway’s stories are masculine in nature, but “Hills Like White Elephants” shows the woman’s point of view as the more rational of the two (Short Stories for Students 158). The man is shown as being selfish and irresponsible by starting this relationship and then lacking the support Jig needs (Hamid 78). The American sees life as being very straightforward and rational, while Jig is considered to be romantic and living in an emotional world (Beacham 8). Clearly, these themes are still applicable in modern societies concerning this issue of abortion.

Ernest Hemingway, the author of “Hills like White Elephants” will leave his readers guessing due to his vague information put into his short story, ¨Hills like White Elephants¨. The understanding of figurative language, sensory details, and the use inferencing skills are needed to interpret what the author is trying to get across. If the short story is analyzed carefully the reader will understand that the couple in the story are deciding whether or not to have an abortion. Although “abortion” is never blatantly said it is shown through prolific figurative language. Symbolism, simile, and conflict are all prominent examples of figurative language throughout Hemingway's “Hills like White Elephant”.

The short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, talk about a young couple and their relationship issue about abortion. Even though, the story happened in a short period of time, but it tells more than just a story. The woman named Jig, where the man only called as “ a man” or “ The American.” Although the relationship between them is complicated, but it is clearly that they are not married. However, they continued their relationship which came to result that Jig became pregnant. The couple love to travel and stop in many differents cities before moving on to the next. Their last stop was somewhere in Spain and that was the place where they had to make decisions either they continue their relationship with the child or

In Ernest Hemingway's “Hills Like White Elephants”, the use of imagery and symbolism in the landscape of surrounding Ebro Valley, as well as the use of language and tone, shape our understanding of the conflict between the two main characters. The man referred to only by “The American”, is trying to convince Jig to get an abortion. Though the word (abortion) is never stated directly in the entirety of the story, it is conveyed by the use of symbolism and imagery in the surrounding landscape. Furthermore, we can conclude that the topic at hand will come to a final and abrupt solution that Jig will, in fact, get the abortion due to her tone and language at the end of the story.

In the United Nations Global review on Abortion policies in Spain in the year of 2001, abortion was permitted on almost all grounds. These grounds are inclusive of factors regarding health and preserving both physical and mental health. Women could rightfully receive an abortion if she was raped, or if the pregnancy caused severe mental or physical health issues to either mother or child. Consequently, abortion was not permitted for social or economic reasons and any women who pursued an abortion that was not performed in a health care establishment would be penalized and the individual who performed the illegal abortion was subjected to imprisonment if caught. In retrospect, contraception and sterilization was not legalized in Spain until

The short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, is about a man trying to convince his girlfriend to have an abortion. The couple sits in a train station waiting for their trip to Barcelona, and are staring outside at the scenery—the line of hills “like white elephants”, as the girl, Jig, remarks. They sit and drink and they try to keep conversation light and to enjoy themselves. As the story progresses, however, cause for their underlying tenseness boils to the surface.

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “White Hills Like Elephants”, the author built a storyline of symbolism consisting of an American man and his apparently pregnant partner “Jig”. The storyline’s setting is set in Spain, where there are mountains, hills and fields, in which a train station is in the middle of it all. Hemingway uses figurative language to imply that Jig is pregnant, and her man’s disagreement regarding keeping the child. The couple, waiting for the next train to come, whilst drinking beer and briefly discussing the future of the child, come across obstacles in their relationship, which concludes in a result of both of them not coming to a concession. Hemingway depicts the deceptive side of human nature, by referencing to the setting and characterizations to portray the ambiguous relationship of the main characters. The setting and its characterizations represent the unborn child. In addition, Jig’s man uses characterization of the abortion in order to ease it into her, and get her to follow through with it. Lastly,

In the story, "Hills like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Jig faces a life changing event, abortion. The struggles with the complications of abortion concern and desire Jig to want to keep the baby. Bringing a new life into the world is a long time commitment and it is something Jig feels she can treasure forever. However, her companion attempted to persuade her in another direction, to proceed with the abortion. As naïve as he is, he feels his persuasion can overcome Jig's desires. Jig is a sarcastic yet reserved woman, who desires to bring a new life into the world, even if her companion does not approve; she knows what is best.

“The Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story that is about an American man and a girl called Jig. They are sitting at a table outside a train station, waiting for a train to Madrid. While they wait they order drinks and have a heated ongoing conversation over whether or not Jig will have an operation that would be of great significance to their relationship. “The Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway has two important symbols in the story, the hills and the drinks both of which help to give us a better understanding of what is going on between the American and his girl.

“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about an American man and a girl named “Jig” drinking at a bar waiting for a train that will take them to Madrid to come. While waiting, Jig points out that the hills look like white elephants. The conversation then turns to the man trying to convince Jig to have an abortion saying it’s a simple operation and afterwards they’ll be happy. However, Jig seems to be in debate with herself over whether she should do the operation or not. After arguing over the procedure, Jig gets fed up with the man and asks him to stop talking. At the end, he asks if she is she feeling better and she lies to him telling him she’s fine. In all, I think what Hemingway is trying to express is that the

Evil is a rarity; ignorance is an epidemic. In today’s society, controversies exist on every topic available to man. Regardless of the issue, there is a solid guarantee of the bifurcation being caused by the absence of communication and awareness of said issue. Take for instance, abortion. Although much progress has been made to improve the availability and conditions of the operation, the opponents have hindered further support, believing abortion should be forbidden because the process “kills” the child. However, pro-life protesters and politicians alike never consider the circumstances when it comes to abortions. Women consent to an abortion in the case of rape, incest, harm to the mother and/or child, teenage pregnancy, etc. Also, women can undergo an abortion if they choose to not birth a child. Albeit all the factors of the operation the opponents of abortion insert their own ignorant ideologies into the issue, instead of considering the perspectives of the pro-life supporters. Their opposition is fueled by the lack of knowledge of an issue they don’t truly understand, and their bigoted opinions only add salt to the open wound.

Relationships can be difficult when two people have an opposing stance on a controversial topic such as abortion. Men, in their self-interest, perceive this option as an easy way out, in which they can have all the pleasure and none of the consequences. However, for a woman an abortion causes both physical and emotional pain which a man could never understand. Thus, making this one of the utmost difficult issues a girl may need to face in her life. In Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” there are two Americans traveling in Spain. The setting of the scene is a bar located near the train station where the man and the girl discuss this life altering operation, as they await the arrival of the train to Madrid. Throughout the story the man is persuasive, as he attempts to convince the girl to have the operation, while at the same time, the girl expresses her reluctance and remains unconvinced that an abortion is the answer to their problems. Abortion remains as controversial today as it was when Ernest Hemingway wrote “Hills Like White Elephants”. Although Hemingway never used the word abortion in his story, he found ways to evoke emotions of sympathy for the girl and disdain for the man through his creative use of symbolism, setting, and characters in the short story.