Ernest Hemisway Short Story

Wyche disputes all the critics who suggested that the text was either about whether Jig should carry the pregnancy to a full term or have an abortion. Wyche feels that the text was a metaphor representing pain which comes as a result of an end of a relationship between two people. One of his main ideas was therefore to dispute some of the ideas that critics had put forward in the past and bring forward a new meaning to the short story. As Wyche noted most of the critics saw a metaphor of abortion but failed to see that the abortion could also be used as metaphor to mean something else which in this case means the pain of a breakup. By bringing other critic’s point of view into play, he successfully acknowledges what they wrote and their ideas but also presents him with a point to dispute the same. Even if he does not refuse the ideas produced by earlier critics, the author presents a different point of view from whatever was presented before.

“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).

Although Jig and Sheri were both dealing with the same issue of not wanting to have an abortion, they both interacted with their partners differently. While the American spoke with Jig over some alcohol, he downplayed the seriousness of the procedure. Jig was easily influenced by what the American was telling her and she even said, “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 637). While Jig did not want to have the procedure done, the way she interacted with her partner shows she cares more about his approval than she cares about herself. Also, it shows that when Jig interacts with her boyfriend, she is not willing to communicate her true feelings. Unlike Jig, Sheri is sure of herself and was not seeking her boyfriend’s approval. While Sheri did not speak in the short story, Lane had a vision of her saying, “This is her own decision and obliges him to nothing” (Wallace 258). Lane’s vision of their interaction shows that Sheri is not afraid to

The motif of silence is used to support the theme of bearing witness. This is exemplified by the quote, “Not a sound of distress, not a plaintive cry, nothing but agony and silence” (89). The prisoners are trying to stay silent even though they are in pain. They were looking at the dead but

Women and men have rarely ever been able to wholeheartedly agree upon something, especially something as significant as an unwanted pregnancy. “Hills Like White Elephants” centers around an unwanted pregnancy and how a young couple is talking about it and handing it. While the mention of pregnancy or abortion is never actually said, it can be inferred through their conversations and simple clues Hemingway includes such as, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig” (Hemingway) (Link). The man in this relationship, the American, continues to reassure the woman, Jig, that the “operation” is simple and tons of people have it done. He also continues to repeat “how simple” it is. Jig

In the short story "Hills like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway we were presented a man and his girlfriend. They order a couple drinks as they wait for a train. As the story continues, more details of what the couple is discussing unfold. Although it is never actually said we learn that the couple is talking about whether to have an abortion. "It's really an awful simple operation, Jig."(42) It's is also

He tells her that she does not have to have the operation, but tells her it is the best thing to do. The girl begins to think, “And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be okay like they were and you'll love me” (Hemingway 107)? He reassures her that he loves her now. Jig is more realistic about the situation and the consequences in front of her. She knows that she is going to make the ultimate decision, although she is asking for reassurance from the American(Short Stories for Students). The girl also knows that regardless of her situation, their relationship might not work out anyway. The choice to abort or not abort the baby ultimately leaves her with the same consequence: life without the American.

Silence happens a lot throughout the book because they all are scared so no one talks. Silence happens a lot when someone is being hanged because they can’t do anything about it or they will be hung with that person and no one want to be in that situation. Elle is forced not to talk about something an officer did because if Elle talked he would be put to death, so basically he didn’t have a cause to be silent at that point well he did but Elle didn’t want to die. Silence has a lot to do with self-preservation because in self-preservation they choose to be silent and not do anything about the

The oral histories taken by Howard of Chuck Plant and Fitz Spencer illustrate his points regarding silence creating space for contemplation as Chuck is molested by an older male driver on a rainy afternoon. Chuck wonders if he should say something to someone but “…I finally decided not to say anything to anybody. I have no regrets about that” (p.7). Fitz is given oral sex by one of the resident priests at the church his family attends and he believes that another priest there as well as all of the boys were aware of what was happening. “I took it more seriously than the others did. They used to giggle about it” (p.9). Fitz also decides to say nothing.

The ending of the story is rather ambiguous as it is not completely obvious what decision the two end up making. The man could have talked the girl into undergoing the procedure, or not. At one point toward the end, Jig tells him to “please please please please please please please stop talking”, and when he doesn’t she threatens to scream. This probably means that she had made up her mind, but it could be in either direction. In the end, she smiles at him, and he asks her if she feels better; she says that she feels fine. That could mean that she had made peace with the decision to abort their child or that she was proud of herself for finally standing up to him and making her choice not to abort final. Either way, making this choice is harder on her as she would be the one to undergo the operation, and she very well knows that he most likely will not stay with her if she decides to keep the child. No matter what she chooses, however, their relationship will never be the same.

Is silence really an important factor in ife? Silence is described as complete absence of sound, however is there more to it? In The Chosen the theme is taken on with great significance. In the book “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok, silence isn’t ordinary, for it can teach various lessons, and can be looked at in a good way.

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

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

The couple must choose a path to take and deal with the consequences of that choice. In this time period abortions were rarely heard of. Because of the lack of knowledge of abortions in this time period, the decision becomes much harder for the couple to make. Jig is afraid of what

Both were talking, but neither were listening or understanding the other’s point of view. The American man is willing to say almost anything to convince his girlfriend to have the procedure done, which, although it was never mentioned by name, is understood to be an abortion. By telling her he loves her and if she does the procedure things will go back to the way they were when they were happy. She throughout the story seems indecisive, at one point she even stated she would have the abortion just to shut him up.