Hills Like White Elephants Feminist 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.

Jig appears to be unsatisfied with her life. In the opening scene, she is imagining white elephants as she looks onto the Ebro hills. The white elephants refer to an unwanted gift. She wants the gift of a child but knows she can't have it because the man doesn't want it. This makes her unhappy and makes her look for an "imaginary life." She drinks a lot and never settles down in one place. As she looks at the hills, she sees that there is no shade and no trees on their side. Later in the story, she sees that the other side of the hills is very fertile with a river, a field of grains, and many trees. Jig imagines her life as it could be if she becomes a mother and changes her lifestyle. Her life would be as happy as that little scene. Jig is also unhappy because she can not express her true feelings. She tries to tell the

The American man trying to convince Jig to have a “‘simple operation…that it’s just to let the

“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.”

Tension appears although this conversation suggests that they have been fighting prior to their arrival at the train station. Jig implies that she believes the American is stuck in his own perception and is unable to see beyond it . Since Jig is still dependent on her mate at this point when making choices, if only about drinks, she remains calm and changes the subject.

There are several instances in the story that “the American” reiterates “Jig’s” options for her future. Although he expresses that he would support and love her no matter what the ultimate choice is, she feels conflicted and her pain, which builds throughout the story and as the conversation progresses, becomes more obvious. What is most interesting is, as his second thoughts about the unspoken abortion spike, her resistance to discuss the topic any further grows in tandem. Although the two heroes’ love for one another is evident, there is the aching uncertainty between them: Is there room for a child in their relationship built of travelling, drinking, and discovery?

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.

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.

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.

“The Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story that is about an American man and a girl called Jig. They are sitting at a table outside a train station, waiting for a train to Madrid. While they wait they order drinks and have a heated ongoing conversation over whether or not Jig will have an operation that would be of great significance to their relationship. “The Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway has two important symbols in the story, the hills and the drinks both of which help to give us a better understanding of what is going on between the American and his girl.

Jig’s new tone towards the man shows that she wants the situation to be over. This new tone is shown when Jig says, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking” and “I’ll Scream” (Portable Literature 81). Jig now has the ability to think for herself rather than having the man control her. As she learns his manipulative ways, she begins to take control of her own life and thinks more about keeping the

Since the short story is written primarily in dialogue, it makes it very similar to reading a play. The conversation is very generalized and not specific at all, it leaves a lot up to the reader to use critical thinking skills to determine what the story is actually about. The story starts with the American man and Jig having a beer and making awkward, forced conversation; Jig looks over the hills and sees the clouds and says “They look like white elephants.” This is an example of the author using symbolism; a white elephant in communication usually refers to something big or problematic, i.e. “addressing the elephant in the room.” Jig is trying to avoid the conversation about the abortion, but she ultimately knows that it is an unavoidable topic.

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

For one, she is overseas in a country where she doesn’t speak the native language and I feel that he kept buying drinks to kind of help him persuade her into having the abortion. She was even trying to convince herself that she didn’t want the baby. Unfortunately, due to the lack of communication between them, she puts her feelings aside and only wanted to make him

This conversation is an argument between the couple over what they are about to go through together. This adds intensity to the story and it also conveys the message of death in an original way since it is a conversation between two people- a specific line that stood out was “and once they take it away, you never get it back”. This tells the reader that they are going through something quite difficult together. The reader can notice that the girl in this story is nervous and scared about this operation and that once they terminate the pregnancy it won’t be theirs anymore. There is a large difference here though between dialogue in “A Journey” and “Hills like White Elephants”. While in “A Journey” dialogue is used but not as used as heavily as the “Hills like White Elephants”. Since “A Journey” is mostly told by the wife of the story. There is one conversation on the train with the wife and another passenger that particularly stood out. The reader can tell how nervous the wife is about anyone finding out about her husband’s death on the train.