Hills Like White Elephants (Hemingway): Difference between revisions
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| Title = Hills Like White Elephants | | Title = Hills Like White Elephants | ||
| Author = Ernest Hemingway | | Author = Ernest Hemingway | ||
| | | Literary form = short story | ||
| Year of publication = 1955 | | Year of publication = 1955 | ||
| Microsummary = A couple at a train station discussed their drinks and the surrounding landscape before delving into a serious conversation about an implied abortion. The woman hesitantly agreed, but tension remained. | | Microsummary = A couple at a train station discussed their drinks and the surrounding landscape before delving into a serious conversation about an implied abortion. The woman hesitantly agreed, but tension remained. | ||
Revision as of 13:08, 14 May 2023
A man and a young woman, referred to as Jig, were sitting at a train station on a hot day, waiting for the express train from Barcelona to Madrid.
They sat in the shade outside a bar, discussing what to drink. They decided on beer and later tried a new drink called Anis del Toro. As they drank, the girl commented on the hills in the distance, saying they looked like white elephants.
“They look like white elephants,” she said.
Their conversation took a more serious turn when the man brought up a "simple operation" he wanted Jig to undergo. Although the operation was not explicitly named, it was implied to be an abortion. The man tried to convince Jig that the operation was necessary for their happiness and that it would be a quick and easy procedure.
“It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,” the man said. “It’s not really an operation at all.”
Jig, however, was hesitant and expressed her desire for a life with the man, including the possibility of having children.
As they continued to discuss the operation, the man insisted that he loved Jig and only wanted what was best for her. He claimed that the operation would solve their problems and make them happy again. Jig eventually agreed to the operation, but asked the man to stop talking about it.
The man left the table to move their bags to the other side of the station, leaving Jig alone for a moment. While he was gone, she looked out at the landscape and thought about the life they could have together if they didn't go through with the operation. When the man returned, he asked if she felt better, to which she replied that she felt fine and that there was nothing wrong with her.
Throughout their conversation, the couple's emotions and the tension between them were evident. The man's insistence on the operation and Jig's hesitance to agree highlighted the conflict they were facing in their relationship. Despite their differing opinions, they tried to maintain a sense of normalcy by continuing to drink and make small talk. In the end, Jig agreed to the operation, but it was unclear whether this decision would truly resolve their issues and bring them happiness.