Abortion In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants

If Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” had been told in first person, the story would be far more direct and insightful. Throughout the short story the third person narration vaguely outlines a conversation, which one assumes is about abortion, between an American man and Jig. Although never stated, one could infer (through Hemingway’s clever writing techniques) that Jig does not want this abortion and will never be the same once the operation is finished. If told through Jig’s perspective, perhaps the reader would know for a fact what the topic was about. The reader could also be exposed to the deeper meaning behind her statement “(the hills) look like white elephants.” Additionally, the reader might understand the frustration
Jig is experiencing and why she threatens to scream if the man doesn’t stop talking about the abortion. Alternatively, it would be interesting to see things from the man’s point of view. He constantly brings up the fact that the operation is “awfully simple” and tells Jig he loves her. However, if the story was told through the man’s point of view, perhaps the reader could really know how the man feels and if he truly loves Jig.