Hills Like White Elephants Analysis

The relationship between the American and the Girl in “Hills like White Elephants” appears to be strained over the matters of an operation. Their relationship appears rocky the moment they start conversing, having no means of hearing what the other one has to say. Their reaction toward one another reveals just how their different views on the matter affects their relationship. As they engage in conversation their opposing views, related or unrelated to the matter, are hard not to take notice. As well as the subtle descriptions the girl uses about the idea of a baby. This helps makes the reader is aware of which kind of operation it is that they later refer to. Hoping he will understand her, she tries to bring up the baby in an indirect manner in hopes not to ruin a fine time. The man on the other hand does the opposite by bluntly expressing his opinions. His strategy proves be persuasive when she

“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” 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

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

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.

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

“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” 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.”

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.

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.

In "Hill like White Elephants" there is a ton of symbols and elements of setting that Ernest Hemingway illustrates for the reader to understand the tone of the story. The line of hills, the river, the fields, the alcohol, the train station, the bamboo beaded curtain, etc.. Throughout the dialogue there is a lot of tension between the American and the woman; all they do is argue. The woman is literally on a emotional rollercoaster. When the conversation eurupts she seems to become guarded and ruffled. She gazes onto the line of the hills and sees it to be dry and brown. She tells the man, hopelessly that the hills look like white elephants. When his response was passive and vague, "i've never seen one" and sips his beer. When he goes on to make

In Hemingway’s short story, “Hills like White Elephants”, there is use of symbolism that Hemingway uses to crafts a very suspenseful mood. Hemingway also uses reference to one of the characters, the American’s past to help the reader sympathize toward Jig. The mood of “Hills like White Elephants” can in fact be described as light and innocent during a reader’s first read, but can be separated to discover that something is much deeper, and the white elephant being described will lead to conflict. The reader finds the mood in the story through digging into the effects of the character’s actions and predicting what will happen after the story ends. Mood in “Hills like White Elephants” is hard to define by one simple emotion because of the way Hemingway crafts his short story.

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.

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"

Ernest Hemingway, author of the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” wrote the ending of the story in a vague yet intriguing way, leaving the reader with the question of what will happen with the pregnancy. Although the story can indicate one ending or the other, looking at all the details in the correct manner would only lead to one conclusion: that the couple will not keep the pregnancy and will ultimately have an abortion. Jig, the woman, presents herself in a feminine way. She is always looking for the approval of those around her. Also, if she truly wanted to keep her baby, she would have taken better care of herself throughout the story, simply because she is the maker of this new being that is growing. With those in mind, it is difficult seeing her keep the baby.