Critical Analysis of Hills Like White Elephants - 923 Words

Mikhail Shimonov Professor Kaufman March 28, 2011 Critical Analysis of Hills like White Elephants At first glance, Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, may allude to many interpretations, however, the short story has a clear purpose. Set in the Ebro River valley in Spain, the story looms around the issue brought forth by Jig and the American, who is nameless throughout the whole story. The issue here being the ‘simple operation’ that Jig is about to undergo which happens to be an abortion. Set in the early 1920s, the idea of abortion is as irrational and controversial as today’s ongoing debate over gay marriage. Although the term abortion is never used in the story, the imagery Hemingway uses along with the language and†¦show more content†¦This is foreshadowed perfectly in the beginning of the short story with the station being â€Å"between two lines of rails in the sun† – one directing towards childbirth, while the other track guiding to abort (1). Confronted with two conclusi ons with a man pushing for you to take one over the other allows for a climactic ending – one that is not revealed. Consequently, one can also say that she was leaning in the Americans cause for she was drinking alcohol – a known derivative of an unhealthy child – a child resembling the â€Å"shadow of a cloud moving across the field of grain† (2). Ultimately, Hills like White Elephants has very clear descriptions referring to whether the story is about abortion or not. From the various implications as to the seriousness of their problem to how the symbols provided in the story all relate to purity and fertility. Based on Jig’s hard decision to choose, one can see how the character of Jig can be very pregnant and truly affected by the operation that is claimed to be simple by the American. The American, pushing her because he has an incentive – his old life, does not want to change the mood of his life. The drinking, the travelling, the sigh tseeing – all gone if she chooses to stay with the child. Although the term abortion is never stated, Hemingway could have chosen to omit the word to create a stronger story, increasing hostility amongst readers. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. HillsShow MoreRelatedHills Like White Elephants : A Critical Analysis1708 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†: A Critical Analysis Introduction: One of the many themes in his stories for which Ernest Heming way is known, includes feminism. At Hemingway’s time feminism was known as a famous movement and it affected many important writers like Octavia Butler and Virginia Woolf. Hemingway was a literary icon of his time and he was influenced by the political, social and human rights movements of his time. He was also touched by the hopelessness of women and how their thinkingRead MoreCritical Analysis Of Hills Like White Elephants1437 Words   |  6 Pagesemotionally-driven) remarks that are made. For instance, when it is first mentioned that the girl stares off into the hills, she states that the hills look like white elephants, to which the man replies, almost indifferently, â€Å"I’ve never seen one,† to which the girl replies, â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have.† (804) The man then replies that what she says about him never (seeing a hill that looks like white elephants) doesn’t prove any thing. This exchange is only three relatively short lines; through this, however, one canRead MoreCritical Analysis on Hemingways Hills Like White Elephants Essay575 Words   |  3 Pages The thing that makes, Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway such a powerful story is the subtlety with which it is told. Hemingway is commenting on subject matter which for the time would have been considered taboo, but does so without actually spelling it out for the reader. 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Certain themes arise from this story such as choices and consequences, doubtRead MoreEssay about Modernism: Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway1578 Words   |  7 Pagesthe restricted human spirit. It had no trust in the moral conventions and codes of the past. One of the examples of modernism, that breaks the conventions and traditions of literature prior to Modernism, is Ernest Hemingway’s short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants†. The short story uses plot, symbolism, setting, dialogue, and a new style of writing to allow human spirit to experiment with meaning a nd interpretation. Some of the characteristics of Modernism are: a desire to break conventions and establishedRead MoreHills Like White Elephants, a Theme Analysis Essay1243 Words   |  5 PagesHemmingway uses time, place, and symbolism in Hills like White Elephants to intensify the central dilemma in a story about a man and a woman deciding on whether to go through with an abortion. Although a literal reading of the title may not seem to have any relation to the story, the title is rich in implications. Critics suggest that Hills refers to the shape of a womans stomach when pregnant, and Websters 21st Century Dictionary defines white elephant as: [An] awkward, useless possession. Read MoreThe Tell Tale Heart Analysis1295 Words   |  6 PagesIt can also be said that the style utilizes realistic techniques using narratives with surreal or dreamlike elements. An example of Magic realism in Sherman Alexie’s short story is how Thomas Builds-the-fire jumped off the roof and flapped his arms lik e an eagle. They describes him as â€Å"flying†. The story also likens his broken arm to that of a broken â€Å"wing†. Sherman Alexie uses this technique as he is an Indigenous American with ancestry for many different Native American tribes. What are the characteristics