The Thoughts of a Writer

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Ernest Hemingway portrays many of his views through the characters in his stories. Hemingway has found a way to deliver many different themes in his writing. He includes personal experiences, thoughts and opinions to convey his way of thinking to the reader. Hemingway's writing can be interpreted in many ways, but as countless readers have observed, Ernest Hemingway is a sexist. Hemingway is viewed as a sexist because of the way he writes about women. His writing makes the reader believe that Hemingway has a strong dislike for women. Both "Hills like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway and "A Clean Well-Lighted Place" represent Hemingway's view on male's dominance over women and that women are the cause of men's misery. Ernest Hemingway's short story, "Hills Like White Elephants", is about abortion. In this short story, Hemingway has made one of the characters, the waitress, an eavesdropper. Through the writing, we are immediately able to recognize that Hemingway has a preference towards men power over women. The way that he wrote the character's name was "American" and "the girl". This gives the reader the idea that the "American" is older and the person in charge in this relationship. As the reader continues to read this story, they can see that the girl is doing and willing to do anything to please the American: "Girl: 'And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?'" (Hemingway 2). Even though the topic goes unsaid, what the girl is referring to is the abortion that the American wants her to go through with. She says, "'I don't care about me.'" (Hemingway 2). All she wants is for the American to be contented and stay with her even if it means killing an unborn child. In this way, Hemingwa... ... middle of paper ... ...phants" one can conclude that Hemingway feels as if he is better than women, seeing that he is a male. The female character in this story, Jig, has repeatedly said that she does not care what happens to her, all she wants is for the American to remain by her side. Hemingway has indirectly stated that women are supposed to obey men because men are superior. In "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" Hemingway shortly brought up the elderly man's wife in the waiters' conversation. While it was not stated, the wife has been accused for the man's suffering. The reader can conclude that Hemingway is indeed a sexist and feels superior to females. His experiences with women have not been the best, so he expresses his hatred towards them in his writing. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest.A Clean, Well-Lighted Place. 1933 Print. Hemingway, Ernest.Hills Like White Elephant. 1927. Print.

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    Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is a short story about a couple contemplating on whether or not to have an abortion. The two are at a train station drinking beer and waiting for their train to come. In the story, the man wants the girl to get an abortion saying it will be an easy and quick procedure. However, the readers can tell that the girl is not too fond of the idea of getting an abortion. Throughout the story the couple tries to talk about the problem but their conversation seems to go nowhere. They go back and forth saying that they just want the other one to be happy. There is an irony in the story of these two characters as their relationship begins to “deteriorate,” compared to the “unity portrayed in the river, mountains, and fields” (Maynard). The woman begins to see the “selfishness of the man” and that is when the readers see that she has made up her mind to keep the child” (Maynard). Even though the readers have a good understanding of what each character wants, neither of them come out and say what they have decided. Once their train arrives the two part ways. No clear decision was ever made but the readers have a good idea that the couple most likely separated and the girl probably kept her baby. Hemingway stresses how important communication is in relationships through this story. The couple in the story obviously did not communicate very well, therefore, their relationship did not last. Relationships are built on communication and if a couple cannot communicate then the relationship will not last. Hemingway portrayed a couple who failed at communicating through three different ways. Location, time, and degree of relationship are all factors that affect communica...

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