Hills Like White Elephants
"Oh, cut it out!" (Hemingway 171). Could this be the true feeling of the American toward his unborn child? In the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" written by Ernest Hemingway, the two main characters find them selves in a moral dilemma in Catholic Spain. Jig, the protagonist, is pregnant by her lover the American. The American, who is not named by the author, wants Jig to have an abortion but she is not convinced. Both are seated at a train station between Barcelona and Madrid. The two rail lines divide the valley into two very different and opposite landscapes. Interestingly, the reader finds many such contrasts in the story. The dualistic nature used throughout the story by Hemingway is evident not only in the main characters' dialogue, but also in the use of setting and symbols. The train station located between two very distinct landscapes is very symbolic. One side is dry and barren while the other is green and fertile. The American and the girl are both sitting at the station on the dry barren side. It is the American who most likely chose to sit on this side. "This side, the side of the abortion, is the American side. The other side, with its imagery of life and fertility, is the girl's side"
This "double talk, assuring her that he will go along with what she wants while stubbornly pressing her to do what he wants" (Renner5) is another example of Hemingway's use of duality in the story. He does not want to give up this carefree, transient way of life. She is clearly referring to her pregnancy. When he leaves the barroom, he finds Jig smiling. Several times the American says one thing but means the opposite. The setting and dialogue in Hemingway's short story is rich with symbolism. She wants to keep her pregnancy and her child. Regarding the hill, she comments that "They're lovely hills"(Hemingway171). The girl, unlike her lover, draws comparisons to things she observes in her environment. The American quickly responds, "Oh, cut it out" (Hemingway171). Whereas the American looks at objects without very much thought, when she looks at objects, she creates images in her mind of the things that she sees. As she looks out beyond the Ebro River, she comments, "And we could have all this"(Hemingway172). Jig realizes what is really valuable in her life and does not allow her lover to convince her otherwise. The people there were "waiting reasonably for the train"(Hemingway173).
Common topics in this essay:
Barcelona Madrid,
Whereas American,
Initially American,
Ebro River,
,
American American,
Ernest Hemingway,
Spain Jig,
White Elephants,
conclusion accepting,
oh cut,
main characters',
short story,
white elephants,
looks objects,
dualistic nature,
dry barren,
unborn child,
train station,
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Acceptance Essays
