Marie Hawkins

Daniel McNamara

English 102

25 February 2013

“A Different Point of View”

Introduction to the Story

“Hills like White Elephants”, written by Hemingway, is a story that takes place between a woman and man in Spain while waiting at the train station. A conversation takes place between the two, in which the man is trying to convince the girl (Jig) to have an abortion. The story displays the difference in how men and women view things differently. The train station is particularly important as it symbolizes (represents) the choices between having and not having an abortion. This choice is further illustrated by the side of the tracts of which one side shows green landscape full of life while the other shows no signs of life. Jig looks at being pregnant as a wondrous thing even though she never directly implies, but is quite clear by her conversations (Charters, Ann, Pp. 370).

Opposing Views

The man has completely opposite views, as he implies that he had never seen a white elephant when Jig talks about white elephants. The maturity and mind set of men becomes apparent when he stringently reacts by saying “I might have, just because you say I have not, does not prove anything” (368), when she agrees he has never seen one. It is very clear that they both have an opposing view about abortion because Jig wants the baby, while the man does not want anything to do with a child. Jig's mentality becomes apparent to the reader when the conversation turns from the hills to abortion. Jig's concerns about what will happen after the abortion to the relationship becomes apparent when she says, “Then what will we do afterwards?”(369). The American man arrogantly gives false hope he tell her “We'll be fine afterward, just like we were before” (369), instead of telling her ...