Hills Like White Elephants Essay

Ernest Hemingways short story Hills Like flannel Elephants touches on an issue people subscribe to prospectd in the ult and continues today communication problems in a relationship. The ability to communicate your feelings to a nonher(prenominal) person during flummoxd times reveals the true strength in a relationship. Hemingway tells his story through conferences amongst the two main characters, the American and the lady friend, named Jig. The characters face the harsh reality of an unexpected pregnancy and conflict is created through their dialogue.Their impediment is complicated by their inability to deliver their differing opinions to each other. The couples failure to communicate their opinions straightforward turns the conversation into a tactic of hu musical compositionkindipulation. On the surface, it calculates the American is the one doing the gentle hu existenceityipulation and trying to persuade the young wo spell to corroborate the abortion, simply when Jig s dialogue is looked closer, its get through that she participates in attempting to see to it the conversation, as well. Regardless of who is more successful, their relationship is damaged forever.To begin, the soldiery does not deprivation to be pressure to deal with the complications of starting a family and giving up his lifestyle of travelling. He wants the young lady to bugger off an abortion, that he wants her to feel like the decision she makes is that of her ingest. The truth is he believes and knows his spoken communication depart course a huge influence on her decision. afterward a few drinks, the man brings up the sensitive issue to the girl by choosing his words carefully Its re whollyy an awfully elemental operation (Hemingway 133). The man tries pushing the issue further by inserting his own judgment and assuring her that they just let the air in and hence its all abruptly natural (133).His manipulation can be seen clearly when he suggests The babys th e only function that bothers us (133). It is clear that their relationship has not been the same since hearing news about the baby. I think she begins to realize that she is left with the choice between having the baby or being with him, which could be depicted when she put her hand out and took check off of two of the strings beads, referring to only two people being suitable to be together her and the baby or her and the man. The man is as well as position the idea into the girls mind that he wants her to have a say in the matter and to soften its impact.Youve got to realize that I dont want you to do it if you dont want to. Im perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you (134). Yet, when enquireed if the baby means anything to him, the man replies, I dont want anyone else. In this line the American is referring to the baby in the girls womb and is saying that he wants only her. While its implications are insensitive, the man believes he is appealing t o the girls desire for a man devoted to her. Instead of state Jig that he does not want a baby to complicate their lives, the man tries to make it seem like an abortion is the best thing for the couple through his careful manipulation.The mans manipulation is precise noticeable, but he is not the only one who can play that game. On the surface, the girl appears helpless and dependent, but if viewed from a different vista she could be seen as manipulative. Hemingway names her the girl to portray her as somebody who is naive and immature. She appears to be dependent on the man by postulation him questions such as, What should we drink? (132) or What does it say? (132). However, she is much smarter than she may seem and communicates her feelings through indirect ways without being offensive to the older man.During their conversation about the drinks tasting like licorice, the girl comments, Everything tastes of licorice. Especially all the things youve waited so long for, like absi nthe (132). She is trying to show her foiling towards the man in a subtle way. Her frustration is built on the position that, despite always wishing for a baby, she might not have that chance anymore if she decides to have the abortion. The girl also makes it aware that her frustration runs deeper into their relationship. Upon trying a new drink, Jig questions their life, Thats all we do, isnt it look at things and try new drinks?She uses all in a desperate attempt to show the man that she is bored of her life and their relationship, which Bauer suggests does not seem to be moving into any kind of commitment (Bauer), that she deep wants. As the man suggests that everything will be better after the abortion, The girl reacts, And you think then that well be alright and be happy (133). Without the man even realizing, the girl, to me, has gone from uncertainty to certainty because she did not have to ask the question, already knowing that, as Bauer suggests, Whatever they do about t he baby, they will not go back to where they were (Bauer).The girl seems to be in control of the conversation and in response to the mans claim Ive known lots of people that have done it (133), she offers sarcasm, And afterwards they were all so happy. The girl realizes that the man is clueless and will neer understand. She realizes that she does not have a real decision in her abortion, feeling that the man has already made the decision for her. To compensate for her lack of autonomy, she wants to make the man feel guilty for making her have the abortion, so she tells him, then Ill do it. Because I dont care about me (134).Jill grows more explicit to her refusal, as she repeats several times No we cant (134), ironically refuting his agreement of her own sarcastic statement, We can have everything (134). The man fails to understand her point of view and when Jill points out that once they tamp it away, you never get it back (134), the man thinks she is talking about their world of travelling, proving his ignorance and ungenerous desire to hang on to that.Yet if the girl carries the baby to term, the soused sex life that the American has enjoyed will come to an end non only will he have to forego sex during her pregnancy, but he will also have to fight for time to have sex with the girl once the babofy is born. Regardless of how seriously the American would take his responsibilities as a father, simply having the baby living with the girl at home would remind the American that he can no overnight enjoy the fairly carefree lifestyle that he and the girl direct prior to the babys birth. In a sense, he would be entering adult life a second time.Another human face of youth that the American relives is traveling. In looking at the bags with labels from all the hotels where they had pass nights (Hemingway 76), he is not only thinking of their lovemaking but also of the different places they have been to. Not only is the American sleeping with a young woman b ut he is also taking her to multitudinous different cities. The man and the girl are vagrants with money, seeing the world as if there were nothing else for them to do.This vagrancy also serves the purpose of masking the fact that the American is not moving quickly from one woman to anotherindeed, that he cannot do so. Instead of moving between partners, he is moving between cities and countries. Were the girl to give birth to the baby, though, this traveling would likely be forced to stopand even if the couple could still go to different places, they would any have to take the baby with them or find someone to reserve it with.In observing the girls willingness to carry their baby to term, he sees that she is ready to grow up, to take on responsibility, to settle down.