Abortion is a personal and sensitive topic that has a long history. In different stories, the approach on the topic varies due to when the story was written or set in. Some stories make abortion seem as a downplayed topic that was a solution in order to get rid of something not desired in order to keep the same lifestyle they were living before receiving the news of pregnancy. In “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway and “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, the topic of abortion is treated as an unfamiliar, uncomfortable topic. The two main characters in both stories struggle individually to communicate how they each feel to the other person about the topic of abortion. In “Hills Like White Elephants” the male finds the idea …show more content…
Instead of saying the word abortion both the man and Jig call it an operation, “I really an awfully simple operation, Jig…it’s not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 116). The way the man is downplaying the abortion and how “it’s just to let the air in” (Hemingway 116), showcases how he thinks this is nothing. He is not putting himself in Jigs place. Readers are provided with insight into the characters thoughts and feelings since it is written in third-person omniscient. The writing style provides readers further understanding on these characters feel since both have a different opinion when it comes to the idea of Jig having an abortion. Jig thinks of the baby as a new beginning for them. When the man argues with her on how they can’t have it all if they keep the baby she firmly replies, “No, it isn’t. And once they take it away, you never get it back” (Hemingway 117). From that sentence, we can see how she understands how truly permeant this is and by seeing it in a way of being able to “have everything” (Hemingway 117). She is imagining having everything or in other words keeping the baby and having their relationship. For the man, he sees her being pregnant as an inconvenience since …show more content…
feels and what he thinks she will say. Through his thoughts, we see how he is struggling with the decision on whether or not the abortion should be done. Lane Dean Jr. describes himself as being at a stand still waiting for what Sherri will say, “…sitting here beside this girl as unknown to him now as outer space, waiting for whatever she might say to unfreeze him…” (Wallace 155). The fact this story doesn’t feature a dialogue between the two characters show how they almost are both waiting for the other to communicate how they feel. As time goes by and the sun comes over the couple we see as it starts to in a way melt him. He starts thinking about how she is feeling and what position this put her in “It will be terrible…the knowledge that she can neither do this thing today nor carry a child alone and shame her family. Her values blocked that way, either way, Lane could see, and she has no other options or choice” (Wallace 155). As the story progresses we see him put himself in Sherri’s position by coming up with her decision on keeping the child, “She will carry this, and have it, and love it and make no claim on Lane except his good wishes and respecting what she has to do. Comparing how the man in “Hills Like White Elephants” is to Jig, this is moment is where the two characters differ since as Lane Dean Jr. progresses throughout the story at the end he is able to really
Hemingway provides the reader with insight into this story, before it is even read, through the title. The girl in the story mentions the hills that can be seen from the train station and describes them as looking like white elephants. Jig is at a crossroads in her life, accompanied by her partner. She is pregnant and cannot decide whether to choose life for the baby, or to get an abortion. Throughout the story, she experiences persistent uncertainty over what she wants to do with her life. Whatever decision she makes will have a drastic impact in her later years as a woman. While seated at the bar inside the train station, the girl says, “The hills look like white elephants” (Hemingway). The hills that are spotted in the distance directly parallel the decision that Jig must make. Critic Kenneth Johnston was recorded stating, “A white elephant is a rare pale-gray variety of an Asian elephant held sacred by the Burmese and Siamese. The girl’s reverence for life is captured by this meaning of the phrase.” Johnston also says, “A white ...
In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” the character Jig is submissive to her counterpart The American Man, who is encouraging her to have an abortion. While Jig is not sure what she wants, she does not wish to press the subject of the operation because The American Man is intent upon persuading her to go through with the procedure. Throughout this story Jig’s helplessness, indecisiveness, and her lack of education become apparent, although by the end of the story she becomes confident, decisive, and ultimately takes back control of her decisions and life.
The communication going on between the man and girl in the story, "Hills Like White Elephants,'; are not an honest one. The man seems to lead the conversation where as the girl is quiet. He brings up the subject of 'operation' which suggested abortion, but never mentions the word 'abortion' in the story to understate it. He tries to convince the girl to get the operation, but the girl seems bothered by this subject. However, he does not stop. Their relationship seems to be fine when the baby has not came in between them. We could see this where the guy says, "We'll be fine afterward. Just like we were before.'; The girl wants the relationship to become as before, but is in a huge dilemma whether to give birth to the baby or not. The man does not want the baby and has the choice of abortion in mind, not thinking of the other problems that would occur through operation such as the girl's health. Later on, the girl makes a melancholy remark that the hills look like white elephants. Probably the hills being a round shape reminded her of the baby. She walks toward the end of the station, and sees the beautiful nature. When she looks more toward the nature, one could see her small desire wanting the baby and thinks what may have been happened if she had the baby. The guy does not pay attention to that remark, because he is just concerned about making his point that he wants the operation done, not considering her side.
Jig’s sarcastic tone in her dialogues following the Americans’ is indicative of her decision to not get the abortion. After the American assures her that they will be happy like before and it is a “simple operation” (Hemingway 592) Jig retorts, “What makes you think so?” (592). Hence, it implies her disbelief and realization that things would not change much whether or not she got the abortion. Jig’s desire to keep the child is further evident when she tells him “[they] could get along” (593). She sees the possibility of a happy life with the child; the American sees it as an obstacle. Therefore, he continues in his effort to persuade her otherwise because “[he...
In the early 1920’s a woman’s desire was never to be fulfilled. Similarly to Jig, their opinions or concerns were not recognized. Throughout the story, it is evident that Jig seems to be a bit helpless, confused and indecisive about what she really wants in life. By that, the author refers to an unplanned pregnancy. Since the story was based in a different era, medicine was not as advanced as it today. An abortion seemed to be something so simple to where it was not even considered an operation. “It’s really an awfully simple operation.... it’s not really an operati...
In conclusion, the short story ‘Hills like White Elephants’ contains symbolism to a high degree. The most important of all symbolism is perhaps the "white elephant". As we all know, a white elephant is a gift that nobody wants. To correlate this to the story, the white elephant is the baby who wants to abort template hesitant.
The plot of this story revolves around a decision that two characters, Lane Dean Jr. and Sheri, are forced to make. Lane and Sheri are both Christians who are not an official couple, but clearly haves feeling for each other, sitting in a park bench analyzing the choices they must make. Sheri “ was serious in her faith and values” (Wallace 217) and already has a stereotype towards her on how she must be a good person. Sheri and Lane although not a couple or married, become pregnant. With Sheri being very smart and serious about school abortion is the decision she is leaning towards with an appointment already set. As Lane and Sheri sit at the “ picnic table at the park by the lake”...
From the beginning, the conflict emerges in a disagreement over who can and cannot see the white elephants that Jig is referring too. The man's vocabulary is very goal-orientated, shown through his lack of emotional language used. He describes the operation of what seems to be abortion as “perfectly natural” (Hemingway 597). Hemingway portrays a typical male approach to solving life problems. The man tells Jig the operation is “simple” and “not really an operation at all”(Hemingway 597). The reader can interpret this as his lack of communication or lack of being able to understand what Jig is really saying with her words. Jig's tone is that of compliance and wonder. Jig says, “That's all we do isn't it-look at things and try new drinks?” (Hemingway 596). Jig's tone implies she is unsatisfied with the life they are leading; that is, has become mundane, and she may be open to change. Jig perceives their life as sterile and this is shown in her responses to the Man's insistence. Jig hints at her underlying emotions about the abortion but never explicitly says so. However, her tone about the issue would be enough for someone who was actually listening to her. This translates to the central idea and the importance of effort that must take place in communication, not just saying empty
Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is a short story that deals with the idea of conformity and the conflict caused by internal desire and pressure from another party. The short story is very subtle, and often uses these subtleties in combination with incredible amounts of symbolism interlaced throughout the narrative to cause the reader to look and think deeper into the motives, values and convictions of the conflict between the two protagonists respective desires. When two parties are at an impasse of desire, the conviction of their opposing beliefs becomes increasingly unshakeable. This results in dissension due to the severe lack of understanding between the parties involved and furthermore, they refuse to be held responsible for the inability to communicate their feelings to one another.
“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.
This short story is filled with symbolism, some of which the reader may never find. The title itself can be analyzed a lot deeper. The “hills” refers to the shape of the female body during pregnancy and the “white elephants” symbolize a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit (merriam-webster.com). The story is about a man and a woman taking a train to get an abortion. The train is supposed to show change and movement, something this couple appears to need because their life is very routine.
There is a common theme in “Hill’s like White Elephants” and “The Birthmark” of a life altering decision. Both women are thinking about having an operation that will affect them for the rest of their lives. In “Hill’s like White Elephants”, Jig and the American are debating whether or not they should have an abortion. This decision is something that will affect both of them deeply throughout their lives together. By the way the two characters interact with each other the reader can deduce how important they feel the operation is. There seems to be a tension in their sentences with each other. Jig says things like “Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for” and “That's all we do, isn't it-look at things and try new drinks” (Hemingway 841)? These responses to the American show that Jig is in a distasteful state of mind which would most likely stem from her thoughts about the operation and what they will do in regard to it. Because these thoughts of the operation are affecting her socially, it shows just how important the operation is to her. How Jig interprets the scenery around them while they are discussing the operation also suggests the importance ...
Renner, Stanley "Moving to the Girl's Side of `Hills Like White Elephants'." The Hemingway Review, 15 (1) (Fall 1995): 27-41. As Rpt. in Wyche, David "Letting the Air into a Relationship: Metaphorical Abortion in `Hills Like White Elephants'. The Hemingway Review, 22 (1) (Fall 2002): 56-71. EBSCOhost.
Hills Like White Elephants, written by Ernest Hemingway, is a story that takes place in Spain while a man and woman wait for a train. The story is set up as a dialogue between the two, in which the man is trying to convince the woman to do something she is hesitant in doing. Through out the story, Hemingway uses metaphors to express the characters’ opinions and feelings.
On average, around 15 million abortions occurred among younger, unmarried women ranging within the childbearing ages of 15-44. In which case, the reader could infer that Jig was among that age range in the text because she was bearing a child. It does not state if the man and Jig were married, but one could infer that they were not married due to the way they were described as young and were traveling instead of settled while Jig was pregnant. This could also infer that Jig became pregnant unexpectedly and very sudden. Becoming pregnant unexpectedly leaves a woman at a higher risk for considering an abortion. The higher risk could be due to her or her partner unready for a child or have an unmet need for contraception. Which could explain why the young couple was highly considering the abortion. Allowing the reader to know this information, it could enlighten them to realize why the man is encouraging Jig to have the abortion at a subtly aggressive extent. He is unready to have the responsibility of a child or a family. In Spain, where the story occurs, abortion is a legal option for women in the first 14 weeks of their pregnancy. This implies that Jig would receive a safe abortion, meaning after receiving the