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Male Dominance In Hills Like White Elephants And The Unwanted Child

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“Hills Like White Elephants” written by Ernest Hemingway and “The Unwanted Child” by Mary Clearman Blew both carry a theme of male dominance. The girl’s role is diminished due to the actions of both genders. Within both “Hills Like White White Elephants” and “The Unwanted Child” the male takes on the dominant role when the women choose to be independent or remain inferior. “Hills Like White Elephants” tells a tale of a young girl who travels with an American, who impregnates her. Throughout the story, they continue to bicker back and forth about whether or not keeping the baby is the better option. The male shows dominance by constantly making the girl recognize that things are going to be much different. If they do have a child together, their …show more content…

In 1958, men were naturally looked at as dominant. Because of this, the woman, Mary, was told by her mother in law and grandmother in law that she should drop out of school and work to support the husband. The mother and grandma made it very clear that school was not a necessity, “Unlike my in laws, who have not hesitated to tell me I should go work as a typist or waitress to support my husband…” (Clearman 45). This quote shows that although Mary had been working and had just completed her first year of college, her efforts were not needed as long as she had her husband. In that era, having a child was exciting and thrilling. But, Mary did not want to have a child because it could possibly ruin her dream of having an education. When at the doctor’s office, the doctor congratulated Mary for being pregnant but when the eighth month came around the corner, she started to second guess her choice. When the doctor told her that if she did not want the baby he could give it away to someone who did, she replied, “I want it, I lied..” (Clearman 54). This quote states that she did not want to keep the child but because her family reassured her that having the baby is essential to being a better wife. Therefore the time period of the story influenced the societal perspective of pregnancy and a woman’s role in the household, as it further emphasized their inferiority to

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