Hills Like White Elephants: Why Relationships Fail

The main female characters in both The Yellow Wallpaper and Hills Like White Elephants are seemingly weak and vulnerable which is brought on by their men, while the men in each story are the primary decision makers. The communication going on between the girl, called Jig and her boyfriend, the American in the story, Hills Like White Elephants, is not an honest one. The boyfriend seems to lead the conversation whereas the girl is quiet. They are talking about an operation, which is believed to be an abortion. The boyfriend never says the term abortion, he

Relationships, one of the key factors of the advancement of humanity. We all are surrounded by relationships, some may be easier to identify than others. But one relationship which stands out greater than the rest is the one between a married couple. These people are usually from completely different families and unite together to decide to spend the rest of their lives together. But sometimes the relationship does not work out. We can witness this in Sinclair Ross’s short story The Painted Door, in which Ann a farmer’s wife who has cheated on her husband John, which has brought the end of Johns life and ultimately the end of their relationship. It is arguable that the reason behind Ann cheating and bringing the end to their relationship arguably is isolation, neglection and lack of understanding, but what is the root cause of all these problems in their relationship? The answer is simple lack of communication. Thus, it is the lack of communication which has caused isolation, neglection and the lack of understanding of each other in the relationship, resulting in the failure of the relationship.

As time passes in a relationship, it is inevitable that confrontations are bound to occur. Whether small disagreements created from minor issues, to mediocre arguments based on daily matters, to serious incidents that can reflect relationship taboos, it is a couple’s perception and understanding of each other that can strengthen or weaken their union. The poem “How It Will End” by Denise Duhamel portrays two couples involved in similar matters as those previously described. One couple is having, what appears to be, an argument at the beach and the second couple is watching them from afar, as they’re on a boardwalk. As the poem progresses, the second couple’s assumptions of what

In comparison with Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, both female’s thoughts and feelings are oppressed under the demanding obedience of the male. With this being the case, can the women in both stories honestly believe their truly happy with whom they want to spend their lives with? In these two short stories, the females are both being portrayed as characters that capitulate to the demands of their male-orientated significant others, causing the distressing departure of the connection between these relationships.

In the essay Sex, Lies, and Conversation Deborah Tannen focuses on the differences and lack of communication between men and women though observations. She came to the conclusion that men were not lacking in their listening, but they were however listening in a different way than the women did. On the other hand, men aren’t the only people that have terrible communication skills. In many ways, these differences between the two genders can cause major conflict when not understood by the opposite side. A few examples of lack of communication may be when women don’t decide where they would like to eat, men who walk away from an argument rather than talking it out, and their decision making processes.

In interpersonal relationships, many factors implement relationship success. Some factors that influence relational success is types of attraction, such as task, physical or social attraction. Other factors are similarity and proximity between the two partners.

Our idea of gender norms shape not only how we act around others, but how we treat others as well. Diaz utilizes the narrator 's point of view and imagery to demonstrate how gender norms let us quickly judge others, often not for the best. He states, “A local girl will have hips and a nice ass but won’t be quick about letting you touch her. She has to live in the same neighborhood as you do. She might just chill with you and then go home. She might kiss you and then leave. Or she might, if she’s reckless, give it up, but that’s rare. Kissing will suffice. A white girl might give it up right then. Don’t stop her. She’ll take her gum out of her mouth, stick it to the plastic sofa covers, and then move close to you. You have nice eyes, she might say” (Diaz 650). Diaz describes what his character believes is the “norm” for the girls he is attempting to have sex with. Rather than actually get to know a girl and have a relationship, the author chases after the norm of flirting around and as a result ends up objectifying the very women he is trying to impress. As demonstrated in the text, masculinity and being “the man” are the most important ideas in the minds of some men and as such, cause men to not only disregard their own feelings and ideas, but to also ignore and condemn the individuality of others. By putting these expectations and limitations on both women and men, we

Born in 1899, Ernest Hemingway is a famous American novelist, a journalist, and a short story writer. During his life and through his writing, he experienced exceedingly male-oriented life, including wars and hunting. Many of his works include not only the male protagonist, but also a female counterpart who is either independent in her own away or completely dependent. In most of his stories, the female character cannot make decisions without asking for the man’s consideration due to the time period his stories take place in. However, that isn’t always the case.

Ernest Hemingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants" touches on an issue as ageless as time: communication problems in a relationship. He tells his story through conversations between the two main characters, the American and the girl. Conflict is created through dialogue as these characters face what most readers believe to be the obstacle of an unexpected pregnancy. Their plight is further complicated by their inability to convey their differing opinions to each other. Symbolism and the title's meaning are other effective means of communicating conflict.

An article from Proquest.com by Smiley Pamela created in 1988 about the “Hemingway Review” stated that male and female characters are each gender marked and speak as traditional American men and women would speak. It also stated that men and women miscommunicate because they speak different languages. In the work “Hills like white elephants” there was miscommunication that supports this information. The biggest point in which there was miscommunication was from the beginning of their marriage. Minnie Wright was unhappy ever since she married John and made no attempt to tell him she is unhappy and try to fix the unhealthy relationship. In “Hills like white elephants” Jigs relationship with “the man” became unhealthy when she got pregnant. Their issue with miscommunication like “Trifles” was

Lack of understanding for each other is another cause that eventually leads to failure in relationships. “Simple Recipes” and “Hills like White Elephants” epitomize how understanding for each other is vital in a relationship. In “Simple Recipe”, the relationship between the father and the son is strained when they do not understand each

Heming’s “Hills like White Elephants” and “Cat in the rain” both represent the importance of women wanting to get attention from their loved ones, which they are not showing despite of their pride. One of the crucial points, to have a healthy relationship, is communication with your loved ones. Communicating better helps the person state his/her ideas so that his/he partner can fully understand his/her point. As long as we are communicating with each other, we can work through whatever problems we’re facing.

Relationships can be difficult, but a lot of couples work through the difficultly by supporting and helping each other. In the short story “Hills like White Elephants”, written by Ernest Hemingway, an unnamed American and a young woman, named Jig, are waiting for a train to arrive. Set in the mid-1920s, the couple are sitting at a bar drinking beers, and awaiting to travel to their next destination. Talking vaguely with each other, Jig describes the hills as “white elephants”, meaning an unwanted gift. During the story, the couple discuss an ‘operation’ that the man wants the girl to have, but she doesn’t to want to, symbolizing wanting to keep their unborn child. In this story, “Hills like White Elephant”, the theme is the ending of a relationship, by the of lack of communication, selfishness and choices.

Hemingway keeps the inner and outer details of both the girl and the American to a seemingly bare minimum, but he is still able to communicate the underlying tension between the two through the short and snarky (and emotionally-driven) remarks that are made. For instance, when it is first mentioned that the girl stares off into the hills, she states that the hills look like white elephants, to which the man replies, almost indifferently, “I’ve never seen one,” to which the girl replies, “No, you wouldn’t have.” (804) The man then replies that what she says about him never (seeing a hill that looks like white elephants) doesn’t prove anything. This exchange is only three relatively short lines; through this, however, one can detect the

In the article “Talk in the Intimate Relationship: His and Hers” by Deborah Tannen, you will begin to see and discover the differences in conversation between men and women. Discussed throughout this paper are the importance of metamessages, an overview of Tannen’s article, whether Tannen is fair in her article toward both men and women and whether I agree with Tannen’s article as well as experiences of my peer’s and myself.