Compare and Contrast to "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin and "Hills Like White Elephants" by Earnest Hemingway

A mother and a child. A love that transcends no bounds. To give up a child leaves a hole that nothing can fill. An empty abyss. In the heat of the moment, the mother is convinced that she is doing right by the child. Giving that child a life that they themselves will not be able to give. It hurts to leave, but they know deep down, that the sacrificing of their happiness for the child’s well-being is what is best. In the photograph Mother and child by Jerome Liebling, the mother stands, child in arms, before the steps. Before the steps of giving up the one piece of joy she has in her life. Holding a blank expression on her face, trying not to show any emotion as it would only make what she is about to do harder. She is tired, worn down by the weight of the world. Contemplating what she is about to do, although she knows it will not help.

“Perfectly simple” is restated a couple of times in the conversation which tells us that out of the two only one wants the child and the other doesn’t want the child (Hemingway). The American man thoughts are not more important than Jig’s. Even if the American man is supporting her to get an abortion it’s still Jigs decision. His opinion does matter to her because she wants his thoughts about what’s best for them and their unborn child. Jig is torn between remaining reckless and carefree and making a family with the man she loves. “‘Because I don’t care about me’” states that she is willing to do almost anything for the American man but is blocked by her mother instinct to protect her child (Hemingway). Jig is indecisive in what she wants because she questions herself and the American man what if questions. “‘I realize…can’t we maybe stop talking’” this tells us Jig finally realizes that by asking a lot of rhetorical questions to the American man she has the answer she needs even if it’s not the answer that she wants (Hemingway).

The second experience that Baby has which causes her loss of innocence is being placed in foster care while her father is in the hospital. First of all, while Baby spends time in foster care she is exposed to many sad, disheartening realities about life and her own childhood. Baby is forced to come to terms with many sad realities and she sees things that children should never see while living in foster care. For one, she watches as a boy is beaten up by some bullies and then yelled at by his uncle. After that, the boy sinks into a deep depression, showing Baby a sad side of life. Also, the boy’s uncle asks Baby “...Is he [her dad] still selling weed?” (33). Baby is forced to come to terms

Both of these short novels told stories about couples with relationship issues. Both stories spoke of people with conflicting interests. In "Hills like White Elephants" the girl Jig, loved The American and wanted to have his child. I feel as if she might have seen the child as something that would strengthen her and The American’s bond. The only actual want or care the American seemed to portray was that he just wanted things to go back to normal between the two. To me it was as if he didn’t want any strings attached to the relations he was having with this girl. I felt as if Jig cared more about The American than he cared for her. I also think that if the American hadn’t said anything to Jig about having an abortion and simply allowed her to have the child; they would have more than likely ended up like the couple in Bobbie Ann Mason’s story, where they would run out of things to say and eventually end up parting ways because of either their different wants out of life or their conflicting views on issues would have kept getting in the way.  There were also various dissimilarities between the characters Leroy and Norma Jean in the story “Shiloh”.  In "Shiloh" the woman Norma is pushing herself to become a better person; she works out, goes to school and practices her music. Her husband enjoys sitting around, building models, and smoking weed. They were two people going

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.

Jig knows that having the child will make her look like a whore in the eyes of her community, thus she knows that she has to get rid of the baby, but in her heart she wants to keep it.

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.

Jig's main objective throughout the story is ensuring that her partner is happy. This is apparent when she tells him that she will go through with the abortion. "Then I'll do it. Because I don't care about me." "And I'll do it and then everything will be fine." Through these comments it is evident that she truly believes if she has an abortion their relationship will be fine giving little thought to the emotional and physical trauma the procedure will cause. Jig's subservient attitude is indicative of her low self esteem throughout the story. She allows herself to be shaped by a man whose care for her is more than obviously not a reciprocation of hers for

Ernest Hemingway “Hills Like White Elephants” is a short dialogue story about a couple’s unavoidable shift in their relationship and the dilemma that they have to face. The story takes place at a train station in Spain, where the two main characters the American man and girl-Jig are sitting outside the station’s bar having drinks before their train arrives to take them to Madrid. While waiting for their train they try a new drink all the while tiptoeing around the difficult situation they have to face about what to do about the unexpected pregnancy and remark about whether or not they should keep the baby or have an abortion. Throughout the story, Hemingway’s use of the elephant, white elephant, and bamboo bead curtain symbol to enhance the

The Meaning Behind It All In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, readers are given little detail on what is actually taking place in the story. Many can sense a feeling of deeper meaning by the play on words that Hemingway uses. However, it can be hard to interpret exactly what the white elephant of the story is. There are many clues that cause readers to begin to assume that the white elephant is an abortion.

In the story, "Hills Like White Elephants" by Emest Hemingway, the biggest dispute is the intrapersonal conflict within Jig. Although the conflict between Jig and her partner is important, the hardest decision is whether she should abort this child or not. JIg has to decide whether she wants to keep her freedom with her partner or to carry the responsibility of a child. Her options given are similar to a double edged sword because both choices have their pros and cons. If she were to keep the child she would have to physically and mentally support it. If she chooses to abort the child she has a high possibility of living the rest of her life in guilt over not letting the baby live. Although, if this really was an issue with Jig she could possibly

In “The Mother”, Brooks discusses the mental torment that she has experienced after having an abortion. She writes that “Abortions will not let you forget” (Brooks 388), meaning that the burdensome decision to have an abortion is something that will haunt her for years, because she agree to end the life of her own child. A woman’s connection to her child is extremely powerful and she must cope with the love that she had extinguished. At first glance, Hemingway’s story illustrates how a pregnancy can upset a happy relationship. The relationship between the man and the

The author Ernest Hemingway’s, “Hills Like White Elephants” is an extraordinary story, which setting took place at a train station in Spain. In 1927, “Hills like white Elephants” first appeared in a short story collection called “Men Without Women”, within this short story, we over hear a discussion held by “the American man, and the non-English speaking women with him”. In their conversation, conflict is presented when the author revealed what most readers believe to be the problem of an unwanted pregnancy. Hemingway’s used the term ‘’white elephants’’, throughout the title and text which symbolize for an unwanted gift. Back in Swing Era, many people considered the birth of an unplanned child as ‘’white elephants”.

Symbolically, “Hills like White Elephants” represents a choice. It is a life choice that can’t be undone once it is made. This choice is about whether or not Jig, the female character of the story, should get an abortion. It supports the theme because if Jig chooses to keep the baby she is defying the wishes of her male partner, who is simply referred to as “the man,” and taking a stand for women by doing so. However it is not entirely clear what choice she makes at the end of the story. Her only words being, “I feel fine…There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine” (216). The interpretation some people take for this is that she decided to keep the baby and chose to defy male domination.

As in nearly all adolescent novels, ethical dilemmas are presented. The ethical dilemma presented in The First Part Last, covers one of the more controversial issues when dealing with teenage pregnancies. Due to encouragement and persistence from nearly all adult role models, Bobby and Nia plan to hand over their baby to a family longing for a child. Both realize the burden a child would place on their lives and know an older, more stable family could provide a better life for their child. Eclampsia steals Nia’s life, leaving her in a coma and bedridden, after the birth. Unsure what to do, Bobby is left in the midst of a perplexing ethical dilemma. Giving Feather to one of the perfect, happy families would be like giving