Hills Like White Elephants: A Literary Analysis

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Recommended: The argument between pro life or pro choice

“Hills Like White Elephants” is about a couple, most likely an older man, either in his forties or fifties, and a girl which we presume to be in her twenties. They are at a crossroad in their lives and in their travels. The two are sitting at a train station discussing whether or not the female character should get an abortion, this is the crossroad in their lives. The crossroad in their travels is a cross between Barcelona and Madrid. In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” (1927), Earnest Hemingway drops us into a couple’s predicament. Hemingway never uses the word “abortion” but with different context clues we are able to comprehend that this is what the couple is speaking of. The man and the girl want two different things but will put the other person’s wants in front of their own. The story is set in Spain most likely because abortion was not acceptable …show more content…

Abortion nowadays is much more common and is more acceptable. People in todays society will side more with the man rather than with the girl, the percent of abortions have multiplied by over 2,000 percent since 1960. Many people in todays society would hate and bash on the man in this story, but this is the man and girl’s choice, nobody should be allowed to bash on them for wanting or not wanting this child. There will always be two sides to this topic, pro life and pro choice, I side with pro choice and believe if someone wants to get an abortion then that is their choice and not anyone else’s. The way Hemingway portrayed the issue of abortion was brilliant, neither character comes right out and says it and that happens in todays world. Many people are uncomfortable with the topic and do not like other people to know about their business, this meaning that just like the man and the girl, people will beat around the bush and hint at it rather than coming right out and saying

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