From this passage, the woman is worried about what is to become of their relationship after the operation. She is concerned with the relationship and the stigma which she will face after getting rid of the child.
"Then what will we do afterward?"
"We'll be fine afterward. Just like we were before."
"What makes you think so?"
"That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us
unhappy."
The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of
two of the strings of beads.
"And you think then we'll be all right and be happy."
" I know we will. You don't have to be afraid. I've known lots of people
that have done it."
"So have I , " said the girl. "And afterward they were all so happy."
"Well," the man said, "if you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't
have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple."
"And you really want to?"
" I think it's the best thing to do. But I don't want you to do it if you
don't really want to."
"And if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and
you'll love me?"
" I love you now. You know I love you."
" I know. But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like
white elephants, and you'll like it?"
"I'll love it. I love it now but I just can't think about it. You know how I
get when I worry."
" I f I do it you won't ever worry?"
" I won't worry about that because it's perfectly simple."
"Then I'll do it. Because I don't care about me."
Hills Like White Elephants is a short story that exemplifies the aspect of relationships and unwanted pregnancy. This passage correlates with the whole of the story because it is the tenet of why the couples are traveling to Madrid. The short story is about a couple who are at a train station awaiting a train from Barcelona to Madrid. The woman is to undergo an operation which is to induce abortion and get rid of the unwanted pregnancy. The man is named as an American which means he is a visitor to the country or an immigrant, making the union to be understood as not recognized by society. Therefore, the man does not want to be tied by a child with this woman named Jig, where he tries to convince her to go along with the abortion.
From this passage, the woman is worried about what is to become of their relationship after the operation. She is concerned with the relationship and the stigma which she will face after the getting rid of the child. The language used in the passage is ironical in that “"if you don't want to you don't have to. I wouldn't have you do it if you didn't want to. But I know it's perfectly simple" (Hemmingway, p.230). It is ironical because the man is manipulative and the relationship between them is grounded on the matter if Jig will go through with the abortion. Jig is worried about what will become of them if they were to go on with the abortion and if the man will still love him after it happens. However, since a child is a product of the love which they shared in the hotels where they spent nights, it is ironic to say that he will continue loving her if she aborts the child.
The language used by the American is very manipulative, making Jig be confused and indecisive about what she wants in life. The man makes it clear to her that it is just “a simple operation” (Hemmingway, p.230) which implies that the man is not aware of the complication of aborting a child or that it is something which he has witnessed before. His attitude towards Jig is that he knows it best. That is why he is optimistic that the relationship will go on after the operation. The conversation in the passage indicates that Jig and the American are only concerned with the present and their ability to have fun. That is why the man says “the child is the only thing that bothers us, P.230), which can be translated as a hindrance to the fun which they would have in the child had not come along the way.
The name of the woman Jig if translated into standard English it would mean lively dance. The author probably chose the name to portray the character of the woman. Spending nights with the American in hotels implies that their relationship was not recognized by the society a somehow, the woman might have loose morals. This is exemplified in their ability to indulge in binge drinking while awaiting the train to Madrid. Both the man and Jig drink a lot of liquor and beer. Jig drinks one Anis Del Toro and three big beers, while the man drinks two Anis Del Toro and three big beers. This can be understood as a lot of beer for people to drink in the heat of the day and a woman who is expectant. This, therefore, would inform the later decision which will be made by Jig to undergo the operation will be under the influence of alcohol. “They were all waiting reasonably for the train…"Do you feel better?" he asked.
" I feel fine," she said. "There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine. (P.232)” this means that the alcohol has numbed the ability of Jig to reason and therefore she has let the whole issue to be controlled by the man. Her “I will be fine” is an indication that she is concerned of when she will sober up and realize the implication of the decision she has made at the train station.
The conversation of the couple is purely antagonistic. Jig does not even speak basic Spanish, and it means that she is not a national of Spain. This is an implication that she is a traveling companion of the American. To things here are amplified in the passage above, such that Jig can keep the baby and leave the man, or have the abortion and have the world. His description of the procedure of “just to let hair in” (p.230) either shows the author wants the reader to understand that the American is ignorant of the procedure and complication of abortion. It can also show the disconnectedness of feelings towards Jig and his desire. Implying the pregnancy is the only thing that bothers them is an indication that there are other unraveling issues of their hindrance to happiness.
Their antagonistic conflict shows the conflict which the two are having is beyond the issue of inducing abortion. Their relationship is at stake, and Jig knows whatever decision she will make, things will not be the same. Her ability to be happy is hampered and she has to do everything the man says to make him happy. The man has disconnected to her feelings, and the only that matters is that they will have a relationship will not have anything tying them expect the nights which they spent in the hotel rooms. This then gives the style of the author in giving the audience the narrative peak. The authors have treated a suspension mode when Jig walks away from where she is seated. There is a sense in which the author wants the reader to contemplate the situation where Jig walks away from the relationship. Jig states that “I don’t care about me” (p.231), which implies either she is considering keeping the baby or leaving the man at the train station. This after the man tries to reason with her on the issue of her willingness to go to Madrid.
There is a sense in which Jig understands that the relationship is over, being her traveling companion, she knows some of the ways of the man. This is the reason why she responds to some of his stamens in sarcasm and irony. When the man says he knows many people who have undergone the procedure, she responds that “So have I… And afterward they were all so happy. (P.230)" this is to indicate that sarcasm on the afterward of living with the thought of having aborted a child. If the man knows, it means that it is something which is subject to stigma in the society. it is not embraced by many people and it is illegal. This shows that the author wanted the reader to understand the willingness of Jig to come into a compromise. The inability of Jig to speak Spanish shows that she is entirely dependent on the decisions of the man and her choices are limited.
There is a sense in which the reader can be given to the figurative language which is used by Hemmingway. It is hyperbolic when Jig says that they could have the world (p.231) after she undergoes the abortion. They, however, cannot have the world for their own, but she meant that they could continue having fun, and traveling if the baby were to get rid of it. This gives the foundation of the topic of the short story “White Elephants” which can be translated as something which is unwanted in a particular situation. Therefore, it gives the reader the notion of the reaction of Jig on going on to Madrid with the American. Thus, one can fail to understand why she is putting up a defense on the aspect of undergoing the operation, yet she wants the world with the man.
After walking away from the man to the end of the train station, she glances on the east side which was there are fields of grain and trees. These represent fruitfulness and her fertility. The panorama setting symbolizes her status of having a child in her womb which means life and river Ebro is the stream of life which life springs upon. There is a sense in which the “shadow of cloud” (p. 231) represents the happiness which she will have but is obscured. This is the abortion of the fetus which is something which overcomes her happiness. After another exchange of words with her partner, she looks at the scenery again, but at a different side. This side is a dry part of the valley which is sterile and barren which can be symbolically be translated to her body after undergoing the abortion. After this realization, she is irked by the man’s continued talking and reprimands him to keep quiet.
To conclude, the story ends without a conclusion being reached and no decision being resolute. This would indicate that the conversation would continue and therefore the reader is obscured from knowing what happened after they boarded the train. The interweaving of the story is the intention of Hemmingway to provoke and engage the reader. However, after providing some details on the symbolism and features, the author leaves the reader to assume and conclude for themselves what happened next.
Work cited
Ernest Hemingway :Hills Like White Elephants
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