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Relationships In Hills Like White Elephants, By Ernest Hemingway

Decent Essays

Relationships can be difficult, but a lot of couples work through the difficultly by supporting and helping each other. In the short story “Hills like White Elephants”, written by Ernest Hemingway, an unnamed American and a young woman, named Jig, are waiting for a train to arrive. Set in the mid-1920s, the couple are sitting at a bar drinking beers, and awaiting to travel to their next destination. Talking vaguely with each other, Jig describes the hills as “white elephants”, meaning an unwanted gift. During the story, the couple discuss an ‘operation’ that the man wants the girl to have, but she doesn’t to want to, symbolizing wanting to keep their unborn child. In this story, “Hills like White Elephant”, the theme is the ending of a relationship, by the of lack of communication, selfishness and choices. For example, the lack of communication between the man and the girl. The girl doesn’t tell the man how she feels about the ‘operation’ he keeps discussing. In the story the girl doesn’t want to have the operation as she feels that their relationship won’t be the same. ‘‘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…” The man tries to reassure her that they’ll be okay, and many people have been in their situation. Another example for the lack of communication is the man must translate for the girl due to her not able to speak or understand Spanish. “The train comes in five

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