A One-Way Ticket to Madrid in ‘Hills Like White Elephants.’
Only one option
Hills like white elephants must be one of the most interesting stories to analyze as it has so many hidden meanings that only an attentive reader can understand. In his story named Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemmingway writes about an American man and his girlfriend Jig who are waiting for a train to Madrid, and while they are waiting, the couple has a conversation. However, what seems to be a normal dialogue at first glance, is actually a discussion about abortion. In the end, it becomes clear that she will abort her child because she wants to save their relationship, but he will leave her.
The most important reason why she will go on with the abortion is that …show more content…
She asks some critical questions about the things he says. When she asks what will happen after the abortion, he says that everything will be like they used to be. However, the girl asks why he is so sure about that (Hemingway 253). Hashmi reports that a critic named Stanley Renner wrote that at the end, the American gives in and that Jig gives in (73). It is possible to derive that when Hemingway wrote that "He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them around the station to the other tracks (Hemingway 255)." Here it can be possible that he changed his mind because her resistance was too strong and he complied and Jig laughs because she won. He brings the bags to the other tracks because they are going to take another train that will not bring them to the hospital. Besides, the author may have emphasized the word "other". Although this explanation is creative and well considered, some problems arise with this explanation. First, there are not any other trains mentioned only the one to Madrid. Furthermore, the American seems to be determined to not have the child, thus, it is not plausible that he complies that fast. In addition, this discussion seems to be going on for a while now and the discussion about this subject at the station was certainly not the first one. If he resisted all her previous attempts to convince him to accept the child, it is not likely that he will comply this time (Hashmi 73-74). The American has a selfish character and he will only do what will suit him the best. He says that the abortion is very simple and hardly an operation at all. However, he forgets that an abortion can have serious consequences for her mind and body (Roberts 59). Jig, nevertheless, knows that it is not that simple (Flora 47). Nonetheless, Jig does not want to lose him for economical reasons, but she tries to
Only one option
Hills like white elephants must be one of the most interesting stories to analyze as it has so many hidden meanings that only an attentive reader can understand. In his story named Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemmingway writes about an American man and his girlfriend Jig who are waiting for a train to Madrid, and while they are waiting, the couple has a conversation. However, what seems to be a normal dialogue at first glance, is actually a discussion about abortion. In the end, it becomes clear that she will abort her child because she wants to save their relationship, but he will leave her.
The most important reason why she will go on with the abortion is that …show more content…
She asks some critical questions about the things he says. When she asks what will happen after the abortion, he says that everything will be like they used to be. However, the girl asks why he is so sure about that (Hemingway 253). Hashmi reports that a critic named Stanley Renner wrote that at the end, the American gives in and that Jig gives in (73). It is possible to derive that when Hemingway wrote that "He picked up the two heavy bags and carried them around the station to the other tracks (Hemingway 255)." Here it can be possible that he changed his mind because her resistance was too strong and he complied and Jig laughs because she won. He brings the bags to the other tracks because they are going to take another train that will not bring them to the hospital. Besides, the author may have emphasized the word "other". Although this explanation is creative and well considered, some problems arise with this explanation. First, there are not any other trains mentioned only the one to Madrid. Furthermore, the American seems to be determined to not have the child, thus, it is not plausible that he complies that fast. In addition, this discussion seems to be going on for a while now and the discussion about this subject at the station was certainly not the first one. If he resisted all her previous attempts to convince him to accept the child, it is not likely that he will comply this time (Hashmi 73-74). The American has a selfish character and he will only do what will suit him the best. He says that the abortion is very simple and hardly an operation at all. However, he forgets that an abortion can have serious consequences for her mind and body (Roberts 59). Jig, nevertheless, knows that it is not that simple (Flora 47). Nonetheless, Jig does not want to lose him for economical reasons, but she tries to