Burden and Choice in Hills Like White Elephants Essay

Hills Like White Elephants

The story, Hills Like White Elephants is written by Earnest Hemingway. It is a story about an American man and a girl named Zig that enjoy the freedom of being together and traveling to different places. That is until a white elephant, to them, puts a damper on their lifestyle. A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which his owner cannot dispose and whos cost, particularly cost of upkeep, out of proportion to its usefulness or its worth. (Wikipedia) Hemmingway does not state in the story what the circumstance is but to the reader and the assumptions made it is about the serious choice of having an abortion. There are many different situations, either by womens own actions or by something that happens to them, that force women to sometimes have to think about having an abortion. Everyone has their own personal opinions and beliefs of whether it is right or wrong, but unless we are in the shoes of the person making the decision it is wise not to judge. It is very sad to say that the women who do have to make the choice are the ones who have to deal with the internal, emotional pain.

The time-setting and place for the story Hills Like White Elephants is the 1920s in Spain, thus making abortion illegal and explaining why the word is not used in the story. Hemmingways story takes place in the mid 1920s in Spain, a Catholic Country where abortion was still a criminal act until 2009. (History of Abortion, Wikipedia, 2011) The conversation between the American man and the girl take place in a train station. Obviously wanting the conversation to be private the two seat themselves outside. The American and the girl with him sat a table in the shade, outside the building.(Hemmingway, Para. 1, 2012) The feminist perspective focus on unjust social practices that limit any group of people therefore it could be a man or woman that is treated unjust. In Hills Like White Elephant I believe the girl is the one being undermined, by choice, to the American man. The girl asks, What shall we drink? (Hemmingway, Para. 1, 2012) The American man proceeds to choose and order a beer for the both of them. Although some women would like this action and think it to be gentleman like, to me it is saying that Jig didnt want to use the mind that she has. If we cant make the simple choices in our life, how can we make the hard ones? Isnt it a privilege to be able to make choices, no matter how big or small, being woman or man?

The girl trys to talk about things they would normally talk about before the white elephant came in their life. The girl states, Thats all we do, isnt itlook at things and try new drinks. (Hemmingway, Para. 30, 2012). Did she say this with sarcasm? Was she tired of their lifestyle and ready for the change? The American man would not have the small talk; he got right to the point of talking about their circumstance. You dont have to do it if you dont want to. I wouldnt have you do it if you didnt want to. (Hemmingway, Para. 55, 2012) He says this over and over not giving the girl time to think. Was this a control mechanism for the man? I do believe that if Jig could tell the American man to please, please, please, please, please, please, be quiet. Then she could control the circumstance more to her liking but saying she doesnt care about herself gives the man more power over her decision.

In the end we all have the will to make any decision we think is right for ourselves no matter who may think they have influence on us. We have to own up to our own choices and be the ones who decide what is right in wrong for us.