Hills Like White Elephants Theme Essay

In Hills Like White Elephants, the story opens up with a description of the scenery. There is a couple that is at a train station at a bar going somewhere far. Throughout the story, the couple is having a conversation about something that is never mentioned. However, by paying attention to the characters, the language, and the symbolism, one can see that the conversation is about an abortion and that the couple’s relationship is falling apart. Ernest Hemingway uses characters, sexism, and the setting and symbolism to give the readers a chance to know couple and see their broken relationship.

“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,” written by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about two characters and their’s turning and twisting arguments about an operation and also how the settings affect on both this characters perspective and attitude toward the abortion. The story begins at the train station somewhere in Spain where this couple waiting for a train to Madrid and discussing whether to keep baby or no. While in the stations, different events take place as highlighted by the author of the story where the girl explore surrounding of the train station and compare each thing with her situation such as the nearby rail tracks, trees, river, the hills, alcohol. On the other hand, the American responds by stating that he has never come across white elephants and refuse her perspective and shows his decision to not have a baby. The two characters continue ordering more drinks while having their discussion. In a nutshell, the story “Hills like White Elephants,” is a short story about a young girl name Jig and American man who waiting for a train and discussing about whether a girl have an abortion or no, based on abortion, there is a conflict of their relationship derived on the environmental setting of the short story.

Jig was concerned that the relationship she had the American would end if she did not go through with the abortion. She knew that he had not been happy since

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?

This fact possibly symbolizes Jig’s and the American’s relationship. Throughout their conversation, one can see that they rarely agree on anything and seem distant with each other. It is clear that Jig wants more from her life and her relationship, but the American clearly wants to continue living without the responsibility of a child. They are in a relationship, but their desires and expectations from each other are not the same; they are like two train tracks that are running alongside but are not truly together. They have come together at this point because it is at this junction that they will either continue together or go their separate ways.

In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “White Hills Like Elephants”, the author built a storyline of symbolism consisting of an American man and his apparently pregnant partner “Jig”. The storyline’s setting is set in Spain, where there are mountains, hills and fields, in which a train station is in the middle of it all. Hemingway uses figurative language to imply that Jig is pregnant, and her man’s disagreement regarding keeping the child. The couple, waiting for the next train to come, whilst drinking beer and briefly discussing the future of the child, come across obstacles in their relationship, which concludes in a result of both of them not coming to a concession. Hemingway depicts the deceptive side of human nature, by referencing to the setting and characterizations to portray the ambiguous relationship of the main characters. The setting and its characterizations represent the unborn child. In addition, Jig’s man uses characterization of the abortion in order to ease it into her, and get her to follow through with it. Lastly,

At one point in the short story, The American sits quietly after jig begs him to stop talking about the abortion,

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 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.

The drink heightens sexual desire, so the American probably got Jig to drink absinthe so she would have sex with him, but he didn’t think about the consequences that were to follow. Thirdly, it is clear that the man will stay with her no matter what choice she makes, he says it many times even though she said “I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me.” His response indicated that he loves her telling her “I don’t want you to do it if you feel that way.” But in the end she will get the abortion, she is set on it but he tells her he doesn’t want her to do it, but he wants to so the stress is off of him, he wouldn’t ask her in the first place anyways if he didn’t want it. In conclusion, the couple has the abortion. Jig wants her freedom and there is no freedom once you have a baby, the American is for the abortion as well. He has many more reasons for the abortion than Jig, some being freedom, stress of having a baby, commitment for marriage, but the biggest factor for him is having the baby

Unlike the American, she addresses the problems of their shallow relationship. This is shown when she says, “That’s all we do isn’t it—look at things and try new drinks?” and later when the American is speaking of the operation and how “awfully simple” it will be, she responds, “Then what will we do afterwards?” Jig is brave enough to change, accepting the reality of going through with the pregnancy, but the American is too immature and afraid to take on the responsibility of raising a child. Jig says, “And we could have all this… we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible,” implying that she is willing to marry the American, but knows he is not, making their options

As the conversation escalates, Jig herself hides her true thoughts and instead, says the opposite: “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me.” (477). It may seems like she agrees to do the operation; but in fact, she is trying to ascertain the American man’s love for her. These implications and hints in the conversation keep them away from understanding each other and contributed to the failure of their relationship. Summing up, relationships in both stories show that communication problems are what tear them apart. Importantly, it is selfishness in the characters that initiate these problems; as they mostly speak from their view and for themselves, which then avert them from understanding their partner, and finally, a broken relationship is inevitable.

The concept of true identity and communication is what can shape a decent couple. In some cases, people aren't able to express these truths to their partners. In Hills Like White Elephants and Sea Change both couples are faced with the challenge of facing their truths and making decisions on their futures which ultimately leads to the death of their relationships and love.

One decision can last forever and never be retain again. Jig wants to have an open honest conversation with the American man but it seems like Jig knows that no matter what she says he will try to find the good and bad in every statement that Jig says. “Perfectly simple” is restated a couple of times in the conversation which tells that out of the two only one wants the child and the other does not want the child (Hemingway). The American man thoughts are not more important that Jig’s. Even if the American man is supporting her to get an abortion it’s still Jig’s 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 motherly 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 knows even if its’s not the answer that she wants (Hemingway).