Ernest Hemingway, the author of the story ‘Hills like White Elephants,’ is a famous 20th-century American writer and author whose published works have created a niche of their own in the literary world. Hemingway is known for his autobiographical element. He revolutionized the idea of the American living in the 20th century. He was a very brief and straightforward in his work. He used short sentences and posed his ideas very vividly. His personal life was storming, and he married multiple times. He would fall in love even after his marriage, and he married four times. He suffered from depression, anxiety, alcoholism and had a battle with inner demons in his life. Gathering from his life’s experiences the author wrote ‘Hills like White Elephants’ which was a book that correlated with his life as a man who would fall in love with young women. (Hemingway 476). Thus, the story also describes the life of a man who has impregnated his girlfriend, and the couple is now confronted with the decision to abort the child. However, the woman in the story comes to a decision after observing the man’s behavior that she needs to keep the child and not abort it. The baby and the abortion becomes something that no one wants to discuss, and they are very subtle about it. This relates to the current view over abortion as a stigma and taboo in society.
Abortion is an issue which is still considered a disgrace in society and having an abortion makes women seem relentless, heartless or irresponsible as females, but the choice to keep a child or to abort it lies in the hands of the woman who has to give birth to the child.
As the story narrates the details, the couple sitting in a bar drinking, their conversation is very minimalistic, and it is mainly about the drinks they are having and how the drinks taste in particular. The air that one gets from the American, the man that Hemingway talks of, is a man who is absorbed in his own world, talking about things in a very carefree manner. On the other hand, there is the girl who is looking at the hills and relating them to white elephants. The girl is reliant on the man who seems in control of himself whereas the girl is indecisive, restlessness and confused. She does not even know what beer to choose which shows her limited control over her desires and wishes. (Hemingway 475). Hence, Hemingway establishes the masculinity of the man and his assertiveness over the girl. The girl is his antithesis, and she does not speak much.
She gains knowledge over her condition when she begins to talk about the hills that look like white elephants. They both drink impulsively, drink after drink, and they cannot discuss what they need to be talking about at that moment. (Hemingway 477). The girl begins the conversation by striking the discussion about the hills like white elephants and then the man begins to talk about it as well. The realization of her condition about having the baby or having an abortion and she begins to drink heavily. Then the man begins to talk about the abortion and how it would be a very smooth procedure that would make her feel fine. He affirmed that he would be at her side all the time and that she would not feel anything. He also tells her that a lot of people have it and then they are fine with their lives. (Hemingway 477). They are drinking to avoid the conversation about the pregnancy and the possible solutions that the couple would have to explore once they are on the train and going ahead with what they have decided.
The girl is quiet, and she seems to go along with what the American is telling her. Meanwhile, the reader can tell that she is thoroughly conflicted in her mind, and she needs clarity. (Hemingway 476).
The couple discusses their happiness and how they can remain happy only if they get the abortion. The girl asks him again if he would love him just the way he did if she got the abortion while the man says he did love her and would love her still even after she got the abortion. (Hemingway 477).
It was after the girl realizes that getting rid of the baby will not be the solution to her happiness. Even after he tells her that the couple will be happy, and they will live contented lives, she says we will not be happy, and we will not have the whole world. Things have changed between her and the American, and she knows that she and he are going to separate their ways. In the end, she realizes that the white elephants are not all that unattractive, which means that something that she first felt was out of her approach and seemed worthless to her, brought her to realize that the baby was after all not the white elephant. This is what the American misses as she hints here that she wants to keep the baby. (Hemingway 478).
As Marlene Fried writes in her book that abortion is a choice and not a sin or murder. It is the reproductive right of a woman. Whether she wants to keep the child or get rid of it, it is her own decision. However making her get an abortion only because the child is a burden or one cannot love her the same if she begets the child, and then it is the right of the woman to have the child and freely keep it just the way she wants. Moreover, women need to be liberated and given the choice to have children if they wish to, even if they are someone’s girlfriend because if it pleases them, then there cannot be a question of their love for the child or want of riddance. (Fried).
Conclusively, ‘Hills like White Elephants’ is a great story to read as it describes a woman’s discovery of herself and her wishes by observing the attitude of her lover and what he feels about her desires and wishes. If a man cannot respect her decision or perhaps offer her a more considerate option, then such a man will soon leave her and their flame of love will burn out. Hence, this story describes how the girl wants to overcome the taboo of abortion and perhaps have the baby and give up on her lover at the end. Therefore, abortion is a predicament for women as it is considered a disgrace in society and women are projected as ruthless and irresponsible for having an abortion, but the choice of keeping or aborting the child it up to the woman who has to bear the child.
Work Cited
Fried, Marlene. "A positive social good." The Women's Review of Books July-Aug. 2015:
3+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills like White Elephants.475-478. 2003. Web. 5 Mar. 2016.
