A Feminist View of , “Hills Like White Elephants” Noelle Taylor South University Online To be a women in Hemingway's story “Hills Like White Elephants” meant not be a typical women of the time period.
It was more like being a womean of today. In the time we live it's still not the “norm” to have an abortion,but it is safer than it was then. She was stereotypical for the time (meaning she was the lesser sex who would do anything for her man)but there was more to it. She was being faced with making a life altering decision.
Moderen women are still forced at times to make the same type ofdecisions.One that would change her and the relationship of the man she was in love with. As the story starts we see a young couple. At first glance it is a stereotypical gender couple.
The man is in charge. He does the ordering for them He makes the decisions as to what and how much they will drink. She allows him to be in charge (letting him be the stronger one the male). She even ask him “What should we drink? ” (Hemingway, 2012, p. 4) She lets him be in control. Like most women of the time period (1920's -1930's) Jig wants to to please her man.
She is willing to do this at any cost.Jig would even have an abortion if that's what it will take to please him. “And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me? ” (Hemingway ,2012, p. 55) Abortions were not a simple operation during that time period as the man would have her believe. “It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig” the man said, “Its not really an operation at all” (Hemingway, 2012, p. 40) Truth is they were illegal at that time and could be complicated.
He however goes on through out the story to convince her to have it. “I know you wouldn't mind it jig.It's really not anything. It's just to let the air in.
” (Hemingway, 2012, p. 40) Jig like most women of that time period and even today wanted to keep her relationship alive. To her it meant doing anything she had to even to have an abortion to keep her man happy. Yet, I think she questioned herself if the pregnancy was the only thing that had changed the way they felt towards each other.
“That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the the only thing that's made us unhappy. ” (Hemingway, 2012, p. 50) Is it a statement or really a question at that point?To have an abortion is a life altering effect on a women, Only a woman can ultimately make that decision. Only a women will feel its total effects.
Jig decides to go through with the abortion as far as we can tell. She does it because at that point in her life its the choice she must make to save her relationship with her man. I think as a women she will not truly be happy with either choice she makes. On the one hand if she keeps the baby she feels she will loose him. (causing her to be a single unwed mother) On the other hand if she has it she feels she will save her relationship with her man.
at the cost of loosing the child which is part of both of them). This is a difficult choice to make and the reason I feel why she doesn't care about herself. As the women in the story Jig is put in a catch 22 situation. She is damn if she does and damn if she doesn't. She knows having the abortion will take away a part of her she will never get back.
“And once they take it away you never get it back”(Hemingway, 2012, p. 80) Despite all that it will cost her she is willing to go through with it if that's what it takes to keep him. She no longer cares about herself only about him. Doesn't it mean anything to you? We could get along. ” “Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you.
I don't want anyone else. And I know it's perfectly simple. ” “Yes you know it's perfectly simple. ” (Hemingway, 2012, p. 90) In the end it's all simple to her.
To keep him she must have the abortion. References Hemingway, E. (2011). Hills like white elephants. In D. L.
Pike and A. M. Acosta's (Eds. ) Literature: A world of writing stories, poems, plays, and essays [VitalSource digital version] (pp. 444-445).
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