Ernest Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants was published in 1927. This short story narrates the story of an incident taking place in a train station in Spain. The incident at the train station is a conversation of a man and a woman regarding an operation. The story largely constitutes of the dialogue between the man, the American and the woman, Jig. The two individuals are standing at a critical point in their lives, where they have to decide whether or not to have an abortion.
The story narrates some very important themes of our lives such as the choices we make and their consequences. How men and women relate to each other and, and doubt and ambiguity are the underlying themes of the story. Symbolism is evident in this work of Hemingways, where he gives extra detail to the descriptions of the scenery including the hills and the train station where all the action is underway. The issues under discussion and the Hemingways prose together make it relevant to todays time period and the time it was published.
The storys earliest theme can be recognized as the choices that we make and their consequences. The man and the woman in the story are unmarried and by virtue of nature the girl has become pregnant. The dilemma to the couple is to have abortion or not. While the man wants to have an abortion the girl thinks otherwise. The man wants to be free of responsibilities and this is what the abortion will guarantee, the element that will go missing once the child is born (Short Stories for Students 158).
The American believes that Jigs pregnancy is causing the relationship to falter and has caused unhappiness to both of them. The girl is hesitant to go for abortion. She sees that there is no long term future in this relationship of theirs. She wants true love and happiness, and none of these objectives are being achieved by the abortion (Hamid 77).
Hills Like White Elephants has another underlying theme of doubt and ambiguity. The American wants Jig to have abortion and is convincing her. In the process he tells her that the operation is safe and she will remain as healthy as ever, though he himself is unaware about the consequences of the operation. The legality of abortions in Spain also crosses Jigs mind and she is confused. The reader is perplexed by the seriousness of the situation and what will happen next. Hemingway does not give a solution to the problem in the end and it is left on the reader to gather a result.
The way men and women relate to each other is another underlying theme of the story. While Hemingway is known to narrate the story of man, but Hills Like White Elephants is different. In this story Hemingway narrates the female part of the story. He shows the female point of view as more logical and intelligent then the mans. The American is portrayed as being selfish and irresponsible. He lacks the commitment required in a relationship and this is evident from his efforts to walk away from responsibility. How men and women look at their lives is different and this is shown by Hemingway. The American wants a life of enjoyment and vacation, while Jig is portrayed as the romantic. Hemingways work can still be applied in todays generation next era, where men and women continue to debate on the issues of abortion and responsibility.
At many instances in the story Hemingway makes use of symbolism to state the themes of the story parallel. In fact he lends symbolism to the story to add to the depth of the story. It adds the dramatic effect to the whole narration. Hemingway carefully uses his tools of symbolism. While at one side he involves himself in the description of the green crop fields, while on the other side he is busy in describing the dry and barren hills. The division of these two different geographical forms by the train station adds to the differences in the couples way of thinking. While the American does not want a child, he is the hills. While the romantic Jig is the green pastures on the other side (Short Stories for Students 159). The hills are also used as a tool for symbolism by Hemingway. The way American and Jig look at the hills is different. While one thinks of them as a gift the other thinks of it as a burden.
The different parts of the station are also used for symbolism in the story. The division of the tracks and the river all relate to the fact that even though the couple is close to each other yet they cant understand how each other feel. American is shown as the infertile land while Jig with her swollen stomach is the fertile land. Hemingway uses the symbolism to the theme that there is a difference in the way both the characters think, and outlines the obvious differences among them.
Hemingway manages to confront the issue of abortion without ever actually naming it. The word abortion is not a single time used in the text of the story, but Hemingway does an efficient job in relaying his message across the board. He uses the underlying themes and draws upon the symbolism to give his message. It should be noted that the source of argument in never revealed and the author makes sure that the reader is able to understand his message.
In the story Jig does not want to impose on American, something that she desperately wants. She relies on him for her decisions and this is seen as a sign of insecurity in her own decisions and wants. She trusts him and is willing to follow him, anywhere. She puts his interests before her own. This is clear from the fact that she is does not care about her own health and just wanted to have her around. We see there is an element of conflict in her character as she would not discuss a matter so trivial with him at the point and would trust the natural course of time.
The American is shown as a playboy, a heartless, and a shameless manipulator. He knows about his importance to Jig and uses all possible means to manipulate her for his own personal advantage. He is self centered and does not care about Jigs feelings and emotions. For his own personal gain he wants Jig to go through the operation, manipulating her feelings by stating that the operation is harmless and she will be as health as ever. He wants to be rid of the future responsibility the child will bring with itself, and thus wants her to have the abortion as soon as possible.
The overtone of the story is sexist, which can be related to the time in which it was written, though women have risen up in all fields of the society still remains to be sexist in general. This is one of the many reasons the book has surpassed the horizons of time. We look at a girl troubled by the moral conventions of the society. Abortion was banned in Spain but her companion wants her to do it anyways, to get rid of the excess baggage that will come if not following suit. A bastard child was always looked as scandalous and sinful, and the risk of losing a companion puts her in a hard spot. The character of Jig is clearly the protagonist in the story while the character of the man is the antagonist. We see her ignoring her own feelings to fulfill the desires of the man, which is clearly proved by her obedience to his views and suggestions. The question of the operation is the only significant sign of Jigs disobedience and annoyance to the views of the American.
The story uses dialogues and actions for character development rather than the more frequently utilliezed form of character developments. The conversations between the characters give away a great deal about them and give solid footing to the story. In a short period of time the story touches a very big issue, and this is the beauty of Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants.
The story touches the delicate topic of abortion, which to this day causes a lot of hysteria and controversy. We can see that Jigs character is the outcry of Hemingway on this topic and shows his views on the subject. Hemingway also explains through this story how the human nature works. How one goes to extents to please others and disregards ones own pleasure and securities.
The story starts off with a tense setting, which gives the reader what is to follow next. Hemingway next uses the symbolism of the area around the characters to further amplify the situation. The two characters are at cross roads, both wanting to be with each other but demanding from the other what they cannot give or do not want to give. Hemingway is inspirational in the way he discusses the relationship of the couple and the complexities developing in it due to the different needs of the characters. The story is short, comprising of mostly the dialogues between the two characters. There is a complete absence of the plot, even though there is a situation developing. Just like the fact there is no plot, there is no ending as well. It depends on the reader participation and interest for its popularity amongst the readers.
Though heralded for most of his works, Hills Like White Elephants has earned more rave reviews from critics than any of his other books. The story has picked up popularity since the first time it was published and it has had a snowball effect ever since. Many have joined its bandwagon while people have detracted away from Hemingway for the excessive use of dialogue and no clear cut ending. The irony is that Hemingways detractors call the beauty of his work the ugliest part. The lack of proportion of Hills Like White Elephants particularly catches the eye and it becomes disturbing at times. Yet the stories continue to be full of enthusiasm and attractiveness. Hills Like White Elephants is part of Hemingways book Men without Women (1927). The book contained other stories, all of whom have gone through intense scrutiny of the critics over the years.
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