Hills Like White Elephants Free Essays

Pascal Cuestas Professor N. English 1301 27 March 2013 Hills Like White Elephants Feminist criticism Feminism’s continual push for equality for men and women has grown and has become more successful. Women have abandoned the traditional roles of submissive housewives that was prevalent in the early 20th century. We will write a custom essay sample on Hills Like White Elephants or any similar topic only for you Order Now Early representations of women in literature were often stereotypical and unjust, but the characterization of women in literature has changed now. However, in the early 1900s that type of writing was predominant, and Ernest Hemingway was a writer that definitely disregarded feminist concerns in his stories. Hemingway has several feminism concerns in â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†, where he uses characterization and dialog to portray a powerful and controlling man who uses his authority to pressure his weak and indecisive girlfriend into making a decision that she does not want to do. â€Å"Hill Like White Elephants† written by Ernest Hemingway, revolves around a couple sitting and conversing at a train station. The two have ordered a couple of beers and continue to make small talk. Their conversation seems casual at first but then turns tense when the American exposes the unspoken trouble between them. They begin to talk about whether or not Jig, the woman should have an â€Å"operation†. It never clearly says what the operation is, but from various clues the reader can conclude that the operation that they are talking about is abortion. The American begins trying to convince the Jig to have an abortion. He cunningly try’s to comfort Jig by telling her that decision is totally up to her, but then tells her that he believes that the operation would be the best thing for the both of them. Jig can’t seem to decide, but seems reluctant to go through with the operation. Feminist are troubled with literature under representing women. In the early 20th century, women were seen as inferior to men in society, and feminist want to step out and eliminate the undesirable portrayal of women. In â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†,  Hemingway portrays the American as an independent, knowledgeable, and composed man. He is the one who is in charge of the relationship and makes the decisions for the both of them. While Hemingway gives the man very admirable characteristics, he does the complete opposite with the female character Jig. Along with low self-esteem, Jig is indecisive, dependent, and ultimately portrayed as a very weak person. She is opposed to the idea of her getting an abortion, but is still willing to have the operation in order to please her man. She is unable to stand up for herself and take charge of her life and eventually the man uses her weakness and his strengths to ultimately get his way. A major Feminist dispute is the portrayal of male dominance over women. One way Hemingway demonstrates male dominance and female submissiveness, is when jig is asking the American â€Å"What should we drink? †(611). The man immediately orders two beers for the both of them, showing his dominance and the girl asking her boyfriend, demonstrates her submission. The man didn’t even give the woman a chance to oppose his choice of beverage. He wanted to drink beer, so he decided that she would drink it as well. Jig further supports her submissive nature by requesting permission from her boyfriend to try the drink â€Å"Anis del Toro. †(612). The fact that she has to ask permission to do something as simple as trying a drink shows her role in the relationship. When Hemingway’s story gets to the topic of abortion, the male dominance of the American really starts to thrive. He doesn’t want his girlfriend’s pregnancy to change his lifestyle, so he tries to make her believe that the operation is a simple process. It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig† the man said, â€Å"Its not really an operation at all. †(613). This sentence shows us how manipulative and desperate the man is to convince this girl to have an abortion. He knows that if he shows a little compassion along with a pushy attitude, he can get his girlfriend to do what he wants; so he continues to pressure her . â€Å"I know you wouldn’t mind it jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in. †(613). Abortions may be a simple operation today, but it is doubtful to believe that they are as simple as the American is making it seem. The American continues attempting to downplay the procedure and although Jig realizes this man is forcing her into a risky operation that she is unwilling to do, the man’s dominance over the relationship and her helplessness to voice her opinion will probable lead her to eventually having the abortion. The girl is unable to effectively defy the man and try’s to avoid confrontation, thereby adding to the feminism dispute of male dominance over woman. The way men treat women through dialog is another feminist concern. In â€Å"Hills like White Elephants†, there are a lot of examples of males undermine and disregard women in a conversation. After the two of them have a long argument, Jig becomes annoyed and wants to end the conversation. â€Å"Can’t we maybe stop talking? †(614) the man immediately disregards her wishes and continues trying to push her into something that she does not want to do. She try’s asking again, â€Å"Would you please please please please please please please stop talking? †(615). Jig has asked a simple request, but the American disregards her wishes and continues to talk moments later. It is only until she threatens to scream that the man backs of a little. The under representation of women and sexist overtone of this story is explanatory of the time in which it was written. â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† shows the stereotypical relationship between a man and a woman in the early 20th century. Threw characterization, imagery, and dialog Hemingway shows male dominance over women and the submissiveness that women had in that time period. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Portable Legacies. Eds. Jan Zlontnick Schmidt, Lynne Crockett. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. 525-528. Print. How to cite Hills Like White Elephants, Essay examples Hills Like White Elephants Free Essays Everyday people make decisions that affect their future lives. Do people make the right decisions? What makes a decision a right one? What may be right to some, may be wrong to others. There are no right or wrong decisions but those that people choose and believe to be right varying from each individual. We will write a custom essay sample on Hills Like White Elephants or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Hemingway’s realistic story, Hills Like White Elephants, Jig attempts to make a crucial change in her life by making the right decision, but is unable to because of her weak characteristic flaws. Hills Like White Elephants†, by Ernest Hemingway, is a short story published in 1927, which is set at a train station in Spain. In this story the reader eavesdrops on a conversation held by â€Å"the American and the girl with him†. Most of the story is predominately dialogue between the two characters. During this conversation, the reader may determine that the couple is at a critical point in their lives when they must make a life-or-death decision on whether the woman should have an abortion. Jig is indecisive about her decision. Even though she realizes the possibilities, she has difficulties letting go of old habits, has a low self-esteem that leads to her being submissive, and puts up a frail fight by hiding her feelings behind her sarcastic comments. Jig faces an immense decision that will change her future. She must choose between the old and the new lifestyle. It is hard for her to let go of old habits that consists of taking no responsibility and the sole intention of seeking pleasure. She must go from a young worry free rebel to a stable adult taking responsibility. It’s a hard process since there are three steps to changing: realization, doing the deed, and committing to the change. She definitely realizes she needs to change, but only goes that far. The climax of the story appears when Jig is agitated by their irritating conversation and their romantic relationship. She begins to question about their uncertain future and his true feelings for her. She seems persuaded by the American when she comments on her willingness to do the operation despite her wants and needs because â€Å"she doesn’t care† about herself. At the same time, Jig begins to realize that life may not turn out the way she had planned. She likes to try new things, like the drink, but is often disappointed in the end. She indicates that it is too late for him to make things better. The American believes that Jig is being reasonable for not wanting to having the â€Å"simple† operation done so they can â€Å"be all right and be happyâ€Å" again. He informs her that he has â€Å"known lots of people that have done it† in order to convince her to have the â€Å"awfully simple† operation. He says that the pregnancy is â€Å"the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy. † He sees the whole issue as â€Å"simple† because he does not understand the real problem that is causing the misery. When he finally leaves Jig to get their bags for the train, he observes that the other people are â€Å"waiting reasonably for their train† because in his mind, Jig is the one to blame their troubles because she is â€Å"unreasonably waiting† for a future that he cannot imagine having with her. Ironically, he is unreasonable one because he is the one causing the problems by wanting the abortion. Jig realizes that their withering relationship is not the result of her pregnancy but the result of their failure to understand each other. She realizes that they are incompatible as a couple to have a family together. Even if she does have the abortion, she can no longer stay with him because he can never give her what she longs for. Hemingway leaves the reader wondering about their final destination. He chooses the setting in the valley of the Ebro to symbolize the couple’s situation and options in life. They are on the sunless and barren side of the mountain where they can only see hills that looks like white elephants. At the end of the story, the American remarks â€Å"I’d better take the bags over to the other side of the station,† the side where there is growth and life. The train is representative of two different directions if life, however is unclear whether this signifies that the man has changed his mind about the abortion, or that Jig has decided to go through with the operation and leave him so they have to live separate lives. Jig has desires to change and to live a different life because she is aware of it. She is ready and willing to experience a different life while her lover is not. If so many women were to take that to heart. You should not have to chose someone else’s happiness over your own. We set our paths and no one should think that they have te right to make your own life decisions. If we make a mistake it is our mistake. Life is to precious to waste. How to cite Hills Like White Elephants, Papers