Essay about The Hills Like White Elephants

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Maggi Hanson
Brittanie Mulkigian
COM 211
Due: Wednesday, October 3rd
“The Hills Like White Elephants”
Ernest Hemmingway very boldly introduces an extremely controversial topic into his story that is not only sensitive in today’s culture, but also unheard of in 1927 when this story was published. This situation handles an extremely typical male and an indecisive female to decide the fate of their next few steps in the world with their unborn child. This story contains prevalent rigid misconception as well as an abundance of symbolism. The story explains the male character as Hemmingway’s ‘bread and butter’, an extremely worldly, overly masculine and rugged man who is always in control of himself, and the situation. The man in the story is a pushy, insensitive, and a rather selfish individual. The woman, Jig, is in the midst of a crisis on what to do with the well being of her body, mind, and future. “The girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the country was brown and dry. ‘They look like white elephants,’ she said.” (Hemmingway 1) Jig refers to the hills as ‘white elephants’ to symbolize her body as of present: soft, elegant, fertile, and innocent. The country, which is ‘brown and dry’, represents the way her body would be if she were to have the operation: used, uncared for, and, unfruitful. The white elephants could also indicating that there is an ‘elephant in the room’, as in there is something painfully obvious that needs to be discussed. While trying to inconsiderately convince Jig that the operation is a good idea, the man of course takes over the conversation and says, “We’ll be fine afterwards. Just like we were before.’ ‘What makes you think so?’ ‘That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” (Hemmingway 2) The man assumes that Jig is not in favor of having the child and tells her that if she goes through with the procedure that everything will be fine, however he doesn’t say that he will make the other situation work in their favor. In the reading both characters talk, but they never really listen nor understand one another. Both individuals tiptoe
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