Review of Hill Like White Elephants
Matthew Sorrell
English Honors Block 7
Mrs. Tamsie Earls
29 January 2014
To Keep or Not to Keep The short story, “ Hills Like White Elephants ” by Ernest Hemingway, is about a man who is unnamed and a women whose nickname is Jig, as the reader we understand them to be boyfriend and girlfriend. They are both sitting at a train station waiting on the train. After some time (and a few beers), the women brings up that the hills in front of them look like white elephants. The man does not think the hills look like white elephants and this statement brings them both into an argument about how the women is thinking about getting a procedure. From the details in the story, we learn the procedure is an abortion, and the women does not believe that the man will love her anymore if she does not get the abortion. The man says that he will love her no matter what she does he just wants the best for his girlfriend. The abortion is the main point of the story and the conversations always end up relating to it. I believe that Jig really did not want the abortion, and she was really trying to convince the man to agree with her. I felt like she understands that she will be killing a child and that she will go through pain both physically and mentally. In my opinion, I think the man wanted Jig to get the abortion because he wanted to still be able to travel and have fun. With a baby the man would not get to go out every night and party and travel. The man would have to let go of his old life and settle down. Also with the women's nickname being Jig, I believe she is a pretty good dancer and partier. I am guessing that the man and the women are both around their younger twenties, so they do not want to give up on the best times of their lives. I learned after reading this story that “white elephants” is actually a reference to the child the two are having. The dictionary defines “white elephants” to being a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of. This
English Honors Block 7
Mrs. Tamsie Earls
29 January 2014
To Keep or Not to Keep The short story, “ Hills Like White Elephants ” by Ernest Hemingway, is about a man who is unnamed and a women whose nickname is Jig, as the reader we understand them to be boyfriend and girlfriend. They are both sitting at a train station waiting on the train. After some time (and a few beers), the women brings up that the hills in front of them look like white elephants. The man does not think the hills look like white elephants and this statement brings them both into an argument about how the women is thinking about getting a procedure. From the details in the story, we learn the procedure is an abortion, and the women does not believe that the man will love her anymore if she does not get the abortion. The man says that he will love her no matter what she does he just wants the best for his girlfriend. The abortion is the main point of the story and the conversations always end up relating to it. I believe that Jig really did not want the abortion, and she was really trying to convince the man to agree with her. I felt like she understands that she will be killing a child and that she will go through pain both physically and mentally. In my opinion, I think the man wanted Jig to get the abortion because he wanted to still be able to travel and have fun. With a baby the man would not get to go out every night and party and travel. The man would have to let go of his old life and settle down. Also with the women's nickname being Jig, I believe she is a pretty good dancer and partier. I am guessing that the man and the women are both around their younger twenties, so they do not want to give up on the best times of their lives. I learned after reading this story that “white elephants” is actually a reference to the child the two are having. The dictionary defines “white elephants” to being a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of. This