Thus readers probably assume that these two people are not married; however, if we are interested enough to speculate about them, we must ask ourselves how marriage would affect their lives. What she will ultimately do is beyond the scope of the story. Through the context of their dialogue and the thematic elements Hemingway includes, it eventually becomes clear that the American and the girl are talking about the prospect of an abortion. He claims that "That" is the only thing that "bothers [them]" and makes them "unhappy." For the man,it is not enough for her to do what he wants, but she must also want what he wants. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! If you want a unique paper, order it from our professional writers. "Hills Like White Elephants" does not tell a story in a traditional manner, and it has no plot. Moreover, the contrast between the white hills and barren valley possibly highlights the dichotomy between life and death, fertility and sterility, and mirrors the choice the girl faces between having the baby or having the abortion. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% At first the girl is resistant to the mans emotional manipulation. We sense that she is tired of traveling, of letting the man make all the decisions, of allowing the man to talk incessantly until he convinces her that his way is the right way. Unlike traditional stories, wherein the author usually gives us some clues about what the main characters look like, sound like, or dress like, here we know nothing about "the man" or "the girl." It is not revealed that the topic of conversation is the couples decision to abort the pregnancy, but its not difficult to figure out. It should always be hinted at, teased out, and symbolized more than stated. They have clearly been in a romantic and sexual relationship, which has led to Jig being pregnant. Hills Like White Elephants Dialogue Analysis 597 Words | 3 Pages. This exchange at the beginning of the story reveals a relationship that is going through a crisis. This is the basic premise of Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants." Hoping perhaps to break the ice, the woman observes the hills off in the distance: They look like white elephants, she said. The geography of the real-life valley is notable as well: one side is dry and barren (the hills like white elephants), and the other is lush and green. Free trial is available to new customers only. Readers are never aware of an author's voice behind the story. Joshua holds a master's degree in Latin and has taught a variety of Classical literature and language courses. I was being amused. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. They argue back and forth a bit more, and the girl asks the man to stop talking. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Ive never seen one, the man drank his beer. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. 20% One that could end their relationship forever. All rights reserved. He claims that she "know[s] how [he] get[s]." Our writers can help you with any type of essay. he is about 30-40. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. The short story "Hills Like White Elephants," is about a couple that is really young and the is having a issue about abortion. Read more about the usage of crossroads in Sophocles's Oedipus plays. Its the only thing thats made us unhappy. That the man is the principal advocate of the abortion-as-resolution-of-problem position is repeatedly emphasized, as in the following continuation of this exchange: Well, the man said, if you dont want to you dont have to. He also frequently says she doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to, which indicates that he's describing an elective procedure. Unlike the American, the girl is less sure of what she wants and appears reluctant to have the operation in question. The girl has looked at the mountains and has said that they look "like white elephants." The male protagonist of the story. Want 100 or more? However, maintaining the elephant would be so expensive as to ruin the recipient. She is pregnant, carrying the American's child. (2021, Jun 07). As he wrote in "Death in the Afternoon," "A writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing.". He insists on talking even more about the operation and the fact that, according to what he's heard, it's "natural" and "not really an operation at all.". That said, during the latter part of the 1990s, this story became one of the most anthologized of Hemingway's short stories. You can view our. Hills Like White Elephants is a conversation between an American man and a girl waiting for a train in Spain. Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. Map. You dont have to be afraid. The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, Next Latest answer posted October 17, 2020 at 10:39:34 AM. (one code per order). March 1, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 The girl agrees to have the procedure if it will make the man love her, but then she walks away from him to look at the scenery some more. But I dont want you to do it if you dont really want to. Hemingways couple pretends to be conflicted regarding the effects a child will have on an otherwise loving, mutually-supportive relationship, but the reality appears far different. Jig is the central point in this triangle, and the man's lack of care for his baby is the driver of the conflict between him and Jig. I know you wouldnt mind it, Jig. This is not a healthy relationship irrespective of the issue of the womans pregnancy, and a thesis statement on Hemingways story should advance that proposition., Relationship in Hills Like White Elephants. An unnamed American man and a woman he calls Jig are involved, and she has become pregnant. "The Man" in "Hills Like White Elephants" is an American traveling in Spain with his female companion. Renews March 8, 2023 The woman serving drinks to the American man and the girl. The relationship between the two characters in "Hills Like White Elephants" is a romantic and sexual one. The big point of contention between them is simply that he wants her to have an abortion and she wants to keep the baby. And once they take it away, you never get it back., Come on back in the shade, he said. Refine any search. The procedure is never named, but from context clues it becomes clear that the man is trying to convince the girl to have an abortion. She knows it could be a dangerous operation and feels sure it will destroy their relationship. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. The Girl. Planted in the middle of a desolate valley, the station isn't a final destination but merely a stopping point between Barcelona and Madrid. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" takes place in Spain as well. His pushiness ultimately seems to solidify her opinion against him as the story comes to a close. At the end of Hills Like White Elephants, the man comes back from checking on the train and having a drink. (one code per order). In the early 1920s, an American man and a girl, probably nineteen or twenty years old, are waiting at a Spanish railway station for the express train that will take them to Madrid. Jig seems to be unconvinced by the American's assurances that the couple will be "fine afterward. Consider the contrast between the hot, dry side of the valley and the more fertile "fields of grain." The point of contention between them is that the man wants Jig to have an abortion, and Jig seems hesitant. Sometimes it can end up there. The origin of the phrase is commonly traced to a practice in Siam (now Thailand) in which a king would bestow the gift of a white elephant on a member of his court who displeased him. The relationship between the two characters in the story, an unnamed man and a woman called Jig, appears to be quite complex. "Hills Like White Elephants," written by Ernest Hemingway in 1927, is a short story that describes a seemingly casual, but slightly tense, conversation between a couple at a train station in the Ebro Valley in Spain. He drank an Anis at the bar and looked at the people. The way the content is organized, LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in, Compare and contrast themes from other texts to this theme, The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Men, Women, and Relationships appears in each chapter of. Purchasing Hills Like White Elephants, Full Glossary for Hemingway's Short Stories. They do not use the word abortion because that is understood. 'The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white'. She soon comes to realize her own desires and struggles to assert herself for the . You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Just because you say I wouldnt have doesnt prove anything., Oh, cut it out. You started it, the girl said. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. The train station setting raises the stakes a bit further, putting an artificial time limit on the conversation and the story and giving it some urgency. Can we, however, assume something about them for example, is "the man" somewhat older and "the girl" perhaps younger, maybe eighteen or nineteen? Given their seemingly free style of living and their relish for freedom, a baby and a marriage would impose great changes in their lives. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is an excellent example of the Iceberg Theory of fiction writing, also known as the "theory of omission." It centers around two waiters and an elderly man who patronizes the caf late at night before closing time. When the man promises to be with the girl during the "simple" operation, we again realize his insincerity because what is "simple" to him may very well be emotionally and physically damaging to her. Latest answer posted January 24, 2016 at 8:06:55 PM. The girl says the hills across the valley look like white elephants, and she and the man argue briefly. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you from your Reading List will also remove any She clearly wants to keep the child - a point made evident through several comments she makes regarding how the couple really could have it all. Why is Jig given a name but not the American in "Hills Like White Elephants"? Neither is ever given a formal name - perhaps an attempt by Hemingway to make the characters more relatable to his readers. You mustnt feel that way. I dont feel any way, the girl said. Maybe it's something you don't want to think about or perhaps you're just tired of hearing it. This essay is available online and might have been used by another student. Wed love to have you back! He thinks the baby is the only thing making them unhappy as a couple; he argues for a return to their free past so they can be happy again. Free trial is available to new customers only. What does the name Jig mean in "Hills Like White Elephants" and why does he call her that? Finally the dam is broken in the climactic moment. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Just like we were before.What makes you think so? Thats the only thing that bothers us. Subscribe now. Contact us It's not difficult to understand, though, with careful reading and an understanding of Hemingway's methods and hints. Those who take the pro-feminist interpretation see Jig's last line as confirmation that she'll keep the baby; she's "fine" with her choice to ditch the man and the baby is not something "wrong with her" that needs to be fixed with a procedure. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. In the case of pregnancy, not having the abortion is something "to go through with" because it results in the birth of a child. Just because you say I wouldnt have doesnt prove anything.. This is a character moment that adds up to an image of her as wishy-washy, swayed by the man's point of view. Hemingway made it clear that this "theory of omission" should not be used as an excuse for a writer not to know the details behind his or her story. Jig asks the American if soon things will be like they were before and "you'll love me?" (one code per order). They liked the fact that Hemingway doesn't even say whether or not the two characters are married. Hemingway explores older men's loneliness by using the older waiter as a sounding board for the elderly man's defense. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. After the girl comments pointedly on the bitterness of their last drink, the American abruptly interjects with reassurance that 'It's really an awfully simple operation.' I feel like its a lifeline. The "white elephants" is a play on the idea of a white elephant, something that a person has, but wants to get rid of even at great expense. While they wait at the station, they drink beer and talk. It seems, then, that Jig is thinking of how this baby could be seen as a blessing, that the couple "could have everything," but the American man sees it as a curse to be gotten rid of. She maintains that he started the argument, then she slips into apology, stating that, of course, the mountains don't really look like white elephants only "their skin through the trees.". 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Her questions are not those of a mature, worldly-wise woman, but, instead, they are those of a young person who is eager and anxious to please the man she is with. Even when the man maintains that he wants the girl to have an abortion only if she wants to have one, we question his sincerity and his honesty. The author uses a lot of rhetorical devices to convey his message but mostly use imagery and symbolism. 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