Hills Like White Elephants Conflict Analysis
In this short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, focuses on a couples struggle to communicate and finding common ground which leads to a crisis point in their relationship. This story sets place in Spain where a woman named Jig and the American man are seated outside of a bar near a railroad junction. The couple starts out by having a few beers and discussing a problem they are facing in their relationship, as the conversation continues between the two, you can see that the couple is starting to get slightly angry and aggravated with each other whether or not they should proceed to Barcelona in order to have an abortion. Jig disagrees with the American’s choice, although she refuses to say her thoughts openly. The
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On one side of the valley, it contained trees and long white mountains, which resembled white elephants to the woman. This side of the path symbolizes life and happiness, the white elephants is seen to symbolize the child she is carrying. Therefore, identifying that Jig desires motherhood and wants to settle down in a family with the American. The other side of the valley, is the complete opposite of life, it was empty with no shade nor trees. This side seems to represent the outcome of the relationship if they do proceed with the abortion and the danger of the operation for the woman, and perhaps it can also be identified as the emptiness of this couples dynamic.“I wanted to try this new drink. That’s all we do, isn’t it look at things and try new drinks?”(476). Jig seems to desire more than just an adventurous lifestyle, such as the American. She wants to settle down and start a family with this man. The painful choices Jig has to decide is whether to bear the child and possibly losing her lover, or want to be with this man enough to get an abortion and forget her wants and needs. The junction not only symbolizes the decision of whether to keep this child or continue on with the abortion, it also seems to highlight that these two people are at different stages in life, one is still looking to have fun while the other is ready to settle
On one side of the valley, it contained trees and long white mountains, which resembled white elephants to the woman. This side of the path symbolizes life and happiness, the white elephants is seen to symbolize the child she is carrying. Therefore, identifying that Jig desires motherhood and wants to settle down in a family with the American. The other side of the valley, is the complete opposite of life, it was empty with no shade nor trees. This side seems to represent the outcome of the relationship if they do proceed with the abortion and the danger of the operation for the woman, and perhaps it can also be identified as the emptiness of this couples dynamic.“I wanted to try this new drink. That’s all we do, isn’t it look at things and try new drinks?”(476). Jig seems to desire more than just an adventurous lifestyle, such as the American. She wants to settle down and start a family with this man. The painful choices Jig has to decide is whether to bear the child and possibly losing her lover, or want to be with this man enough to get an abortion and forget her wants and needs. The junction not only symbolizes the decision of whether to keep this child or continue on with the abortion, it also seems to highlight that these two people are at different stages in life, one is still looking to have fun while the other is ready to settle