What Is Wrong In Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants?

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Recommended: Symbolic interaction and abortion

Abortion in the eyes of society has become a crime and a sin to many people. Only 17 states in the US fund abortions and many require the women having the procedure done to receive lectures concerning the topic beforehand. Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, however, this would continue to be a ongoing controversial event for long after, as it had been for quite some time before. In 1927 Ernest Hemingway wrote the short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” this, for the first time, brought up the idea of abortion to be thought of in a different way than it had been before. The story focuses more on the girl, Jig’s, ability to make a decision on her own despite her boyfriend, The American’s, constant pressure to make her do something he thinks would be better for them as a couple. The American is relentless in his pursuit to push Jig to receive the abortion. His controlling manor is displayed in many ways throughout the story along with his careless attitude in regards to her morals and how she feels about the abortion. Multiple times The American explains to her how simple the operation would be to try to convince her to go through with the procedure. He says, “It’s really a simple operation, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in.” He continues to …show more content…

A white elephant is often considered a precious and rare animal, therefore symbolizing an unborn child. There are two sides to the hill, same as there are to the couples opinions. One side symbolizes fertility and the chance to start a family. The other can be seen as barren, or how it would be if she makes the decision to have the abortion. After Jig makes this comparison, The American says that he’s “never seen one.” Jig however seems to lack surprise at his comment. Being pregnant she is more likely to see the symbolic imagery the saying “hills like white elephants” has while The American is being rational and is unlikely to

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    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.

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    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

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