“Hills Like White Elephants” the short story written by Ernest Hemingway, presents the difference between man and woman’s attitude toward a relationship when it becomes responsible. The conflict arises where the girl wants to keep the baby when the man asks her to have an abortion. The man tells the girl that he loves her through whole story, but does not want anyone or anything to get involved in their relationship. The man is irresponsible, improvisational, and manipulative; overall he is immature and showing childish attitude but the girl tries to become responsible and mature. The white elephant symbolizes the baby and two different perspectives (man and girl) interpret it differently. Through this essay, I am going to reveal the subordination of one side in the relationship between man and the girl, and how it drives the girl to compulsively follow the man’s decision. The white elephant is the symbol that Hemingway used to refer to baby whom the girl bears. The white elephants were regarded as holy and spiritual animal in south eastern Asia, and possession of it implied the power and wealth. Therefore, people used to adore or even worshipped the white elephant but to some people who put more values in practical things, they were only worthless animals. Sarah Amato, graduate from university of Toronto states: white elephants were objects of curiosity and mystery, a view perpetuated by nineteenth-century adventurers who described the religious significance of these beasts in memoirs recounting voyages to Siam and Burma. For European observers the way these animals were treated indicated widespread decadence and ignorance in these territories. At the same time, the worship of whiteness, particularly when it manifested a... ... middle of paper ... ...ready expected by the girl became an obstacle for her to be mature and her endeavors to persuade the man was not effective enough. Because of her passive characteristic, she could not say what she wants outright. So when it comes to the decision, she decided to give up what she wants and convince herself that she is fine with the decision. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants”. (1927). The Norton Introduction To Literature, Portable 10th ed. Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2010. 113-117 Amato, Sarah. “The White Elephant In London: An Episode of Trickery, Racism, and Advertising”. (2009). Journal of Social History, Vol.43, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. 36-66 Maestripieri, Dario. “Are You Dominant Or Subordinate in Your Romantic Relationship?” (2012). Games Primates Play, Psychology Today. n.pag. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
Barbara Gowdy’s White Bone is a novel that is written about the perspective of a herd of elephants living in Africa. The main characters are Mud, Tall-Time, Date Bed, and Torrent. All of which develop immensely over the course of the beginning to the end of the first half of the book. The story revolves around their separate and combined journeys towards finding the white bone, a mythical bone which will lead any elephant to where they want to go in life. The story also is powered by the idea that elephants do not forget anything that happens to them in their lives, they remember everything and that if an elephant is not killed prematurely, and then in old age it will go insane and senile with so many useless memories.
Stated in the title and repeatedly mentioned throughout the story, the hills looking white elephants is an important symbol. This symbol is mentioned in the first line, “The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white.” The color, being an important indicator of its meaning, as stated by Abdoo is similar to that of a still born child (Abdoo 239). This observation after knowing what the conflict is gives us direction from the first line. Lewis E. Weeks uses the image of the hills to embody the image of a pregnant woman lying on their back (Lewis) This is
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.
Elephants'." Studies in Short Fiction. 17.1 (Winter 1980): 75-77. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 75-77. Literature Resource Center. Gale.
Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills like White Elephants." Responding to Literature. Ed. Judith Stanford. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006. 841-44. Print.
“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.
“Hills Like White Elephants” is a classical short story first published in 1927 written by Ernest Hemingway, who has been generally recognized as one of the most influential writers in American history of literature. Starting with a lengthy description of the story’s setting in a train station surrounded by hills, fields and trees in the valley of Ebro in Spain, Hemingway told the story from a third person limited omniscient, nearly in an entire form of a dialogue between an unnamed American young man and a girl named Jig while they are sitting at a bar near the train station waiting for the train to Madrid. Throughout Hemingway’s direct and clean report...
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.
In the story, "Hills like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway, the main character Jig faces a life changing event, abortion. The struggles with the complications of abortion concern and desire Jig to want to keep the baby. Bringing a new life into the world is a long time commitment and it is something Jig feels she can treasure forever. However, her companion attempted to persuade her in another direction, to proceed with the abortion. As naïve as he is, he feels his persuasion can overcome Jig's desires. Jig is a sarcastic yet reserved woman, who desires to bring a new life into the world, even if her companion does not approve; she knows what is best.
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Student ed. 2012. Michael Rosenberg, n.d. Print. Lyn Uhl. 09 March. 2014.
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 man further complicates the discussion by contradicting himself. For each time he reassures the girl he wants what she wants, he spends at least one line identifying exactly what he wants. This is clearly seen in the following conversation: "You?ve got to realize . . . that I don?t want you to do it if you don?t want to. I?m perfectly willing ...
In the short story by Ernest Hemingway, "Hills Like White Elephants," a couple is delayed at a train station en route to Madrid and is observed in conflict over the girl's impending abortion. In his writing, Hemingway does not offer any commentary through a specific character's point of view, nor, in the storytelling, does he offer his explicit opinions on how to feel or think about the issues that emerge. The narrative seems to be purely objective, somewhat like a newspaper or journal article, and in true Hemingway form the story ends abruptly, without the couple's conflict clearly being resolved. The ambiguity of the ending has been a subject of much debate; however, the impact of what is not said in words can be gleaned through the symbolism of their surroundings. Upon examination of the setting, the couple's final choice becomes instantly apparent.
Stukas, Jake. "Literary analysis: Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway." Helium.com. Web. 21 Nov. 2009. .
When a woman gets pregnant, she and her partner make a serious decision whether they should give birth to the unborn child or abort it. However, sometimes every couple can have a different outlook about giving birth or aborting because every male and female has his or her ways of thinking. In “Hills Like White Elephants,” the author, Ernest Hemingway tells a story of an American man and his girlfriend, Jig, who have a disagreement in the train station on the subject of whether to keep the unborn child or to abort. However, the author uses binary opposition of life and death to portray the polemic argument a couple encounters regarding abortion. As a symbol for the binary opposition of life and death, he represents the couple’s expressions, feelings, and the description of nature.