Analysis Of Hills Like White Elephants

In my opinion, if the roles were reversed I would still feel the same way about the story. I believe, that the man is being selfish by pressuring Jig to have the abortion, and I believe that Jig would be selfish by pressuring the man to let her have the abortion. Although, it is Jigs body it is still the man’s child she is carrying which makes him every bit entitled to deciding the fate of the child. Having sex is a choice between two people, and I feel that it should be those two people who decide whether or not they want to keep their baby. However, in this situation Jig obviously feels pressured to go through with the procedure, and if she does not then the man will stop loving her. Though, the man does state how much he loves and wants

Symbolism is found in title of this short story giving a major clue to what the story is really about. The white elephant is a representation of the woman being pregnant. The baby is not wanted and it is troublesome because this couple is simply not ready for a baby, “That’s the only thing

The importance of choice is made a noticeable theme by the use of several symbols in the short story. The American and Jig have an important decision to make, whether or not to proceed with the pregnancy. The fact that this discussion takes

that does not last very long, and she is forced to get a job and go to

doesn 't want her to do it, if she really doesn 't want to. However, he clearly is insisting that

Now she must decide, submit and find out if it really is the life for her; or carry on, never knowing what could have been.

“Hills like White Elephant” is a short story by American novelist and poet, Ernest Hemingway, about a couple facing the “elephant in the room,” an unplanned pregnancy. As if the situation wasn’t difficult enough, the couple now has to deal with the conflict of one wanting to possibly keep the child, while the other doesn’t. Hemingway unravels this complex relationship through symbolism, juxtaposing points of view, and societal influence during the time the piece was written. White elephants are seen as holy animals that require a lot of effort to take care of.

In the near beginning of the story, Jig, the girl, states that the far off hills “look like white elephants”(Charters 115). In Asian culture, the white elephant is seen as a burden as it costly to care for dispite it being considered a holy animal.

Johnston analyzes that although Jig is able to choose the choice of her baby; she mentally cannot choose as she risks losing the American if the baby is kept or lose the life inside of her to keep the relationship between them. The jig has the choice, although she represents the complete opposite of how the American acts; as she is seen with a more submissive attitude, but better with imagination, and has more love to give compared to the American, Johnson notes in his criticism of why it’s such a hard choice for her. Akers brings to the point involving the end of story when the American returns to Jig and everything seems fine as if the conversation never happened, like as if the white elephant never appeared in front of them; Akers notes that this could seal the choice of Jig as she decided to give up the baby and go back to their old lives before the events of the elephant. something equally important to mention is how both characters view the white elephant’s presence together and expressing their attitude towards

In the story, it is clear that there is no commitment in the relationship between the American man and the girl as they are used to a free and hyper lifestyle. They spend most of their time traveling to various places together without any limit. Their bag is covered with labels of different restaurants where they have spent nights and abundant time to enjoy their freedom. At the station bar, they are discussing an emerging issue about the girl's pregnancy that would ultimately change their relationship nature. The direct repercussions of pregnancy would be starting a family, but it seems uncomfortable too but of them, as they would have put aside their hyperactive way of living and settle down (Gale, page 78). If the decision were to carry through with Jig’s pregnancy, they would have started a home instead of spending lots of time and in different hotels.

Even though he seems to give her a choice, the abortion is the only option. There seems to be plenty symbols that indicate her decision to abort her baby, such as the cloud that predicts the abortion, the drinks to drown her consciousness and the curtain that confirms her decision. As the majority of the critics in the sources that I have found seem to be opting for the abortion, it became evident that this was a solid interpretation of the story. Thus, it is clear that the abortion will happen. However, whether it will matter for their relationship can also be interpreted in different ways. This analysis did not focus on that aspect of the story although it can be an interesting topic for further

One of main symbols in “Hills like White Elephants” is the setting itself; a train station in Spain. The train station is like a crossroad and in their life they are at a crossroad in their relationship. Jig is woman in this story and she is pregnant but in unsure

These two lines explain the two different ways that Jig should choose between them. One of them is good and the second one is bad. Additionally, the write used the word ‘sun’’ after the’’ two lines of trail’’ because the two choices are so vivid, so a man and woman can see them without even thinking about them. Jig stays for a while without saying anything, but then she wonders about what will happen after having the operation, but the man answers her that nothing at all will happen to her and she will be fine afterward, just like they were before, and all their problem will be solved because the baby that she is having in her body is their problem. The woman impassively agrees with him that the baby is the only problem they have. After that, the man pretends that he will not force her to have an abortion which he calls it ‘’an operation’’, but he assumes and believes that an operation is the best choice to take it. The woman then tells him that she is going to have the operation, but she wants him to still love her and that they will be able to live a happy life together

Throughout the entire story the relationship between the man and the girl is characterized by silence, and outbursts of irritation which increase tension among the two. This tension suggests that the two are desperately trying to avoid talking about the unnamed “white elephant” between the two. As the man is forcing his ideas upon Jig about the operation claiming it’s “simple”. “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,” the man said. “It’s not really an operation at all.” (Hemingway 124). This insistence shows how the man really isn’t considering Jigs feelings. The man sees the operation to return things to “normal”. However, Jig’s

Dictionary.com defines "white elephant" as “a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of”. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, a couple grapples with a white elephant of their own – a pregnancy. The man, who has no name, is trying to convince his spouse, Jig, to have an abortion. It is very easy for the reader to think that the man does not care about the girl because of this, but if the reader digs deeper into his tone, one will find that he does care. The man cares about the girl in the short story and wants to have a happy life with her.