Hills Like White Elephants Analysis

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).

“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.”

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

“Hills Like White Elephants”, by Ernest Hemingway, is a short story published in 1927 that takes place in a train station in Spain with a man and a woman discussing an operation. Most of the story is simply dialogue between the two characters, the American and Jig. This couple is at a critical point in their lives when they must decide whether or not to have an abortion. Certain themes arise from this story such as choices and consequences, doubt and ambiguity, and how men and women relate. Hemingway also uses many examples of symbolism in “Hills Like White Elephants”, including descriptions of the surrounding scenery, the hills themselves, and the station where the action takes place.

“Hills Like White Elephants” tells a story of a man and woman sitting at station waiting on a train to take them to Madrid. The story is told from the narrator’s point of view. There are two main characters. The man is referred to as the American and the woman is called Jig. The man is the antagonist and the protagonist is Jig. The story is more about Jig and her current situation. There is very little information given about the characters but the reader is told that Jig is going to Madrid to have an operation but only hints about the type of operation. The reader is led to believe Jig is going to have an abortion. In the short story “Hills like White Elephants”, the author Ernest Hemingway portrays “Jig”, the protagonist as a mixture

The conversation between them begins as a thinly veiled, simple and shallow one, with each being quite sarcastic at times. With little or no emotion, the American tries to convince the girl that an abortion is the right choice for her to make, under the circumstances. When pressed for confirmation that he will continue to love her after such an operation, the American continuously stays uncommitted to anything except that the procedure is safe and should be her act of choice. The girl looks for any word or gesture that would symbolize real love or anything deeper than just a casual relationship between them, though finds none, so the apparent disappointment continues to prevail in her attitude. At one point he becomes very condescending "Come on back in the shade," he said. "You mustn't feel that way" (para. 83). The significance of this conflict is that the American really seems not to love the girl, though he tells her he does. He also repeats several times that she does not need to go through with the abortion, if she prefers not to, though he never commits to raising a child with her. This sets up conflict within herself emphasized by Jig declaring she will not care about herself any longer "Oh, yes. But I don't care about me. And I'll do it and then everything will be fine"

The negative connotation of a white elephant is expressed in this explanation. It is this negative meaning that is describing the hills, or her pregnant stomach and the unborn child. Further on in their conversation regarding the decision to be made, Jig says to the man, “I know. But if I do it then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants and you’ll like it?” (Hemingway). The girl deliberately asks the man whether the decision of aborting the child will better their lives, or continue moving them down the path of unhappiness. The decision that Jig is faced with ties back to the main theme that Hemingway portrays throughout the short story, decision and indecision. The constant uncertainty that is revealed through the girl’s character is seen in other instances as well.

The title was given on behalf of the unborn baby that implies a valuable and precious object (a white elephant) for Jig, in the story she brings the presence of the “White Hills” which she said “look like white elephants”; a gift that can’t be taken care of. For the duration of the story The “American” convey the impression to have control over the relationship, as well as Jig’s decisions, as she seeks to please him for approval and conditional love; “And you think then we’ll be all right and be happy” (Jig). And the American try to convince her to believe that the abortion will be the best decision to make and superficially assures that the operation will be very simple “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig, it’s not really an operation at all”. Putting down the unconscious desires of the appreciation of the white elephants which Jig allude through the

I don’t want anyone else” (pg. 3). Clearly Jig’s partner has a competing priority. Thus he is making a veiled implication he will not stay with her if she chooses not to have the operation. Also, while he tells her he doesn’t care either way, he calls the operation either “simple” or “natural” five times over the span of a short conversation.

In the short story, “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, the author paints a seemingly innocuous picture of a couple sharing drinks while waiting for a train. Their conversation appears to be senseless drivel and one might get the impression that the pair is not particularly bright. Or even that the woman is quite a bit less intelligent than, and being preyed upon by, the man. The stereotypical image of a man making fun of a beautiful, young, blonde woman who is unable to understand and taking his words as compliments, comes to mind while reading this story. However, Hemingway hints that Jig, the female protagonist of the story, is more intelligent than her words seem. With the following quote, “‘Yes,” said the girl. “Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you’ve waited so long for, like absinthe’” the author begins to show that the true meaning of his story lies under the words that are actually used. (275). Although the author never directly mentions him or her, the unborn child that Jig and her lover are talking about aborting is the central figure of the story.

He has a very masculine personality and it shines through when he makes light of the operation by saying “I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything” (Hemingway). He wants her to believe that it is her decision, but he says things that persuade her to want to get the operation done. Jig also has a very stereotypical gender role; she seems helpless at the beginning, willing to please the American man and needing his help to order drinks. Again, she seems to change towards the end of the story, coming to the realization that their relationship is over whether she gets the procedure or not.

“Hills Like White Elephants” is a fruitless conversation between a man and a woman at a train stop between Barcelona and Madrid. They both need to make a drastic choice between having a baby and getting married or, having an abortion and continue to have an unproductive life.

In spite of the fact that “Hills Like White Elephants” is fundamentally a discussion between the American man and his sweetheart, not one or the other of the speakers genuinely communicates with the other, highlighting the fracture between the two. Both conversation, but not one or the other tunes in or gets it the other’s point of see. Baffled and mollifying, the American man will say nearly anything to persuade his sweetheart to have the operation, which, in spite of the fact that never specified by title, is caught on to be an fetus removal. He tells her he adores her, for illustration, and that everything between them will go back to the way it utilized to be. The young lady, in the interim, waffles falteringly, at one point conceding that

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.