Hills Like White Elephants Rhetorical Analysis Essay

The Unspoken Power Struggle Earnest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” if read as written is a simple conversation about a couple drinking and taking in the scenery around a train station, but when broken down is actually a conversation about abortion. Many critics have analyzed the story from a descriptive and conversational stand point. From a descriptive stance they look at how Hemingway described the setting around the train station, and what the couple has with them. Whereas looking from a conversation stand point they analyze what’s said, how it’s said, and the characters body language. The reason for the analysis is to figure out if Jig will follow through with the abortion and the relationship, if she will keep the child and the American, or if the American will leave her abortion or not. As you read the discussion between American and Jig you may not realize the descriptive language that deals directly with abortion. Not once is the term …show more content…
He makes a point to say “I don’t want anyone but you.” (Hemingway 185) which also reapplies the idea that he does not want to add this child to their relationship. The American is still trying to have control and enforce the idea of abortion, but by this point Jig has the control and is showing her dominances by responding back to the waitress. Jig has the man repeat back what the women says, and this is different from the beginning where Jig was doing things the American asked her to do. Jig gives the waitress a smile to thank her for letting them know the train’s arrival time. The American then does his part to carry the heavy bags over to the pickup area for the train. Jig gives him a smile as well. She knows that she has control of him now, because he is doing things for her without her even asking. She also knows that he no longer wants to upset her, and run the risk of being