Hills Like White Elephants: A Literary Analysis

Even though "Hills Like White Elephants" was written in the 1920's, the topic of the story continues to be a controversial subject. The word abortion is never used throughout the story, but it is obvious early to the reader that the American is persuading a woman named Jig to undergo the procedure. It is evident she does not want the operation, but the American ignores her subtle hints. He pretends to be concerned with her thoughts and tries to moderate the difficult operation she is about to undergo, but he is more concerned with his own happiness then hers.
The setting of the story also demonstrates how out of bounds the procedure is. This woman has left her town and traveled to Spain because of the shame that is associated with abortion. At this point I only assume, because of the time the story takes place. The disgrace is not as harsh as it once was, although the emotional aspects have not changed, fear of the abortion has not diminished, and the social consequences can be traumatic. The guilt a woman experiences before and after the operation can potentially modify her personality forever. When a woman has an abortion, only her companion and possibly her closest …show more content…
The overpowering human emotion Hemingway expressed in four brief pages outdoes what most authors can convey in hundreds of pages. Hemingway could write about a divisive topic that appealed to an extensive audience. Writing a story about abortion or any controversial subject can be a risky venture. Hemingway could have offended a segment of his audience if his story seemed biased towards one perspective. Even though the man was the villain of the story, in my opinion, it did not seem like it was written specifically for women. I believe this story can be enjoyed by men and women. For both sides to interrupt their own thoughts on how things end, maybe evening connect and relate to the