Living Through Shade In the story “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway tells his story with such powerful and engaging detail to draw the audiences’ attention to what is really happening behind the text. At the beginning of the story, Hemingway did not make it clear what the conversation was about between the two people, but the way he used symbolism helped to seek the revealed meaning. Hemingway uses shade as a symbol of an American man wanting his lady Jig, to have an abortion. They begin the story sitting at a table in the shade, facing the light, and as Jig tried to change her mind the American man drew her back in. Hemingway had the American man state the word shade as a connection towards him. The American man said, “Come
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The realization the American man feels once he learned of his unborn child caused him to become shocked, which made him persuade Jig into getting an abortion. Hemingway never stated that the American man is shocked, but through his particular diction choice and the arrangement of the sentence, the American man’s true emotions became clear. He felt that if Jig were to follow through with the abortion, they could have a carefree life and continue to live within the shadow and hid within the shade. Jig says, “And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible” (Hemingway 1675). The idea of Jig receiving an abortion excited the American man and he believed they could have a fun and peaceful life if the abortion took place. Hemingway made it seem as if the American man only wanted her because the past was just adequate with only the two of them; he did not want to share her or her attention to be drawn towards the unborn baby. He says, “But I don’t want anybody but you. I don’t want anyone else” (Hemingway 1676). The way Hemingway repeated the American man’s emotions towards keeping Jig to himself, revealed his true nature. The American did not want anybody or anyone else in his life including the child. The structure of the sentence strongly suggested the American man’s selfish actions towards Jig. With these actions, the American man was portrayed as selfish and
The realization the American man feels once he learned of his unborn child caused him to become shocked, which made him persuade Jig into getting an abortion. Hemingway never stated that the American man is shocked, but through his particular diction choice and the arrangement of the sentence, the American man’s true emotions became clear. He felt that if Jig were to follow through with the abortion, they could have a carefree life and continue to live within the shadow and hid within the shade. Jig says, “And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible” (Hemingway 1675). The idea of Jig receiving an abortion excited the American man and he believed they could have a fun and peaceful life if the abortion took place. Hemingway made it seem as if the American man only wanted her because the past was just adequate with only the two of them; he did not want to share her or her attention to be drawn towards the unborn baby. He says, “But I don’t want anybody but you. I don’t want anyone else” (Hemingway 1676). The way Hemingway repeated the American man’s emotions towards keeping Jig to himself, revealed his true nature. The American did not want anybody or anyone else in his life including the child. The structure of the sentence strongly suggested the American man’s selfish actions towards Jig. With these actions, the American man was portrayed as selfish and