The short story “Hills Like White Elephants” is written by Ernest Hemingway. In the story there are two main characters. The first character is known as the American, and the second central character is identified as the girl. Neither the American nor the girl addresses the name of the American through the story. The American refers to the girl as Jig in the story, but critics’ speculate if that is her name or nickname. Another character in the story is the bartender. This is a female character that serves alcoholic beverages to the American and Jig and only speaks Spanish. The American is a male character that tries to encourage Jig to undertake an operation, while not being to direct on the matter. The operation debated through the story
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A greater awareness of the location of where the American and the girl are when they communicate stretches the logic of the outcome of the unborn child. The setting is outside between two lines of hills with one being barren but across to the other side is fertile. While drinking their beverage in the beginning of the story they are facing the barren side. The American is beginning to make a strong influence on the girl as she starts to give in to the idea of abortion. As she looks at the barren side of the hills she states, “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me”(791). Some critics argue that this is the point in the story that guarantees her acceptance of the man’s desires. Howard Hannum is one critic that believes she complies with the abortion, he says; “She has decided to have the abortion, but not in order to resume her life with the American”(Hannum53). Although she says she will do the operation, immediately after this she experiences self-realization. She stands up and walks to end of the station gazing across on the fertile side of the field noticing there, “were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro”(791). When she acknowledges the life of the fertile hillside she implies, “we could have all of this…and we could have everything and everyday we make it more impossible”(791). This illustrates that they could have a child and have everything they wanted. Instead, everyday that they discuss the operation, they make it more difficult for this dream to come true. The American begins to realize how she feels about her pregnancy. He tries to convey her back across to barren side by saying, “Come on back to the shade”(791). Afterwards the bartender brings another round of beers to the American and the girl. The bartender then lets him know that the train will arrive in five minutes. He attempts one final effort to convince
A greater awareness of the location of where the American and the girl are when they communicate stretches the logic of the outcome of the unborn child. The setting is outside between two lines of hills with one being barren but across to the other side is fertile. While drinking their beverage in the beginning of the story they are facing the barren side. The American is beginning to make a strong influence on the girl as she starts to give in to the idea of abortion. As she looks at the barren side of the hills she states, “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me”(791). Some critics argue that this is the point in the story that guarantees her acceptance of the man’s desires. Howard Hannum is one critic that believes she complies with the abortion, he says; “She has decided to have the abortion, but not in order to resume her life with the American”(Hannum53). Although she says she will do the operation, immediately after this she experiences self-realization. She stands up and walks to end of the station gazing across on the fertile side of the field noticing there, “were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro”(791). When she acknowledges the life of the fertile hillside she implies, “we could have all of this…and we could have everything and everyday we make it more impossible”(791). This illustrates that they could have a child and have everything they wanted. Instead, everyday that they discuss the operation, they make it more difficult for this dream to come true. The American begins to realize how she feels about her pregnancy. He tries to convey her back across to barren side by saying, “Come on back to the shade”(791). Afterwards the bartender brings another round of beers to the American and the girl. The bartender then lets him know that the train will arrive in five minutes. He attempts one final effort to convince