“The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place but to leave the wrong thing unsaid at any tempting moment.” -Dorothy Nevill
Conversation is a part of our everyday human lives. Yet, it is something that some people really struggle with. This theme is portrayed in both David Ives’ one-act short play Sure Thing and the short story Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. Sure Thing comes from Ives’ collection, All in the Timing, which includes many ten-minute plays dealing with irony, timing and language (Green). In Sure Thing, both parties handle communication in different ways. The play is packed with irony, humor, intense characterization, and satire from the very beginning. Hills Like White Elephants
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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. The motif in this short story is unquestionably the beer; they turn to the alcohol because they are trying to avoid their real life situation at hand. They drink large beers to fill up time so that they have less time to talk about the unborn baby and once the American brings up the topic Jig orders more beer. While reading the conversation it becomes apparent that the American’s tone is emotionless; after all, he refers to the abortion of their unplanned baby as “It’s an awfully simple operation. It’s not really an operation at all.” Jig tries
The plot focuses on crossing boundaries. The two characters, The American and a woman nicknamed “Jig”, are constantly wavering middle grounds. It’s a story about communication and conversation. Though they are having a conversation the couple is not communicating. The story implements ambiguity and subtlety to discuss, though never clearly stated, an abortion. The couple arrives at a train station in Madrid. It is assumed only passing through, they decide to have a drink while they wait for the next train. The woman mentions the hills resembling white elephants and notices the infertile barren land in comparison to the green hills in the valley on the other side of the tracks. There is little conversation till the American man hints on an operation. There is
“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
After combining all the arguments and weird statements each of the characters said, it forms an overarching idea between Jig and the American. Jig has the ability to see the white elephant, which symbolizes the fact that the girl wants to keep the baby she is pregnant with. The American doesn’t have ability to see the white elephant, which symbolizes the fact that the American wants to abort the baby and get rid of it all together. Both of the opinions of these characters represent both sides of the valley, “On one side there is no shade, no trees, and is brown and dry. On the another side, there are fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro”(Para. 8,70). This quote is comparing the American’s selfish attitude with the Barron wasteland of the left side of the valley, and Jig’s kind and loving attitude with the Natural greenery of the right side of the valley. To connect this symbolism together, you have to dig deep, reading through the sentences and words, slowly piecing them together to create a
Alcohol holds a certain amount of symbolism in the story. The two main characters, "Jig", and a man we only come to know as "The American" are sitting in a bar. The pair order drinks, and they also talk about them. Though the woman in the story is pregnant, she still drinks. From this, one could only conclude that she either does not care about the damage she is inflicting on her young, or that she doesn't realize.
Alcohol is a motif that plays a significant role in this short story. In trying to avoid conversation and the issue at hand, the couple fills their time with alcoholic drinks. There is a sense of deeper problems existing in their relationship, of which the baby is merely one. This motif suggests that the two will end their relationship and go their separate ways, Jig still with child.
To sum up the plot of the story, an American and another woman are discussing their future together. The main focus of their conversation falls on the woman and how she is pregnant. Throughout the story The American continues to refer to an operation for his significant other to have; we conclude that Jig is with child. As the American is aggressive towards his partner having the operation, he represents society and the continuing pressure/down playing of abortion and the effects that take place afterwards. The American goes as far to say “’I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig.
In Hemmingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” It can be quite evident to look at a relationship and know why a couple may be having problems, it is made clear and that the mans passive aggressive attitude towards Jig makes her feel as if she only wants to get an abortion because the man wants her to. While sitting at the table with their drinks, the man says, “If you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to. But I know it’s perfectly simple” (Page 275). This is the Americans way of trying to psychologically get into Jigs head and make her feel like she needs to get the abortion, while doing it in a way that seems sympathetic. The man lacks empathy for Jig and everything she has to go through, it is also brought to the reader’s attention
The story powerfully illustrates the consequences of miscommunication through metaphor and double meaning text. What tears Jig and the American apart is the continual opposition of what to do about the unborn baby. They both have uncommon desires and needs that neither of them can fulfill. The end of the story comes to a standstill because they both mutually are unwilling to discuss the abortion; more problems emerge and the solution becomes even more out of reach. At the very end, the reader has to come to a conclusion about what Jig decided to do with the baby since the American clearly left.
Every day people make decisions that affect their future lives. What makes a right decision? What may be right to some may be wrong to others. Right and wrong decisions are objective and vary among each individual. “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, portrays the idea of decision making between two characters in a valley in Spain as they wait for a train to arrive. Jig, the protagonist, attempts to make a crucial change in her life by making the right decision, although her flaws, including indecisiveness, prevent her from taking action in her decision. Jig and the American have had a romantic relationship for quite a while and now their future together is in jeopardy. The two of them are having a conversation on whether or not Jig should get an abortion. The man is trying to convince the woman to do something she is hesitant to do. Hemingway uses metaphors and symbolism to express their feelings and decision-making.
These clues allow the reader to conclude that the American man and his girlfriend, Jig, are discussing abortion. The first sign we have is when the American man says, “Its really an awfully simple operation, Jig.” , “Its not really an operation at all.” (Ernest Hemmingway 230). Since this is a couple who seems to be having an encounter filed with tension, this quote was the first that suggested to me, that the underlying conversation they are having is about abortion.
The pregnancy or baby can be seen as the “elephant” in the room. This couple is trying to decide whether or not to get an abortion. The antagonist in this short story is the male the main character (Jig) is taking to at a bar in a train station. In the story this male character is simply referred to as the American. The American does many things that make us believe he is mainly the decision maker in their relationship. He is in charge of their luggage as well as the destination of their travels. This implies a sense of control and dominance. The American is very supportive saying, “If you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to” (227). Despite the support he shows, throughout the story the reader can see that the decision of the women depends greatly on the American’s feelings and views.
Ernest Hemingway, the author of “Hills like White Elephants” will leave his readers guessing due to his vague information put into his short story, ¨Hills like White Elephants¨. The understanding of figurative language, sensory details, and the use inferencing skills are needed to interpret what the author is trying to get across. If the short story is analyzed carefully the reader will understand that the couple in the story are deciding whether or not to have an abortion. Although “abortion” is never blatantly said it is shown through prolific figurative language. Symbolism, simile, and conflict are all prominent examples of figurative language throughout Hemingway's “Hills like White Elephant”.
The role of abortion is the main theme throughout the whole story, from the symbols and the overall decision. In the story Jig and The American have two different views about the pregnancy and the abortion. Jig very much welcome and embraces having the baby and it makes her feel as if the pregnancy is magnificent part of life. We can even see Jig in ways pushing the abortion away and wanting freedom to have the baby. The reader start to get the feel that the abortion is making Jig feel as if it wouldn't make her independent. After arguing about if the world is there, Jig says “No, it isn't. And once they take it away, you never get it back.”. (Hemingway, 4) The argument obviously symbolizes the abortion, during the argument Jig constantly says that the world isn't there anymore. Just like in most of the story, The American tries to make the abortion seem like it’s not a big deal. The readers see that the pregnancy seems like it would be a drag on their life, and that it would limit his freedom to do anything. The reader can tell that this is taking a toll on his view of life, he tries to belittle and persuade Jig that the abortion is what's making them unhappy and bothering them. Readers can tell this when he says, “That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us unhappy.” (Hemingway, 3)He wants JIg to know that everything can be back to normal if she goes
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"