"Summarize the author's key ideas. Identify at least three examples/details that enhanced your understanding of the story. You can also address questions that the analysis provoked, or parts that you did not understand or agree with."
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In HLWE, Hemingway uses a variety of allusions and ambiguous word choice to make the reader think about what the story is really about. Through these methods, Hemingway reveals the central conflict. "Everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe." Here Hemingway alludes to Jig wanting to keep her baby here, even thought it might seem that she is not talking anything about it. "Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want anyone else. And I know it's perfectly simple." While here it may seem that the man is attempting to flatter Jig, he is really saying that he only wants her and not the baby."'I'd better take the bags over to the other side of the station.'" Here is where I am confused. There are several theories as to what this quote means. Some believe that the man is respecting Jig's will, while others are less optimistic.
ReplyDeleteWhat are some examples of the ambiguous word choice you were talking about? In regards to the American moving the bag, what do the other less optimistic views think that the moving of the bags signifies? If these are less optimistic views, does that mean that he does not respect Jig's will and is instead only moving the bags for his own personal gain? If the American is only moving the bags for his own selfish reasons, then that would mean that he was trying to appease Jig, so that he could manipulate her more easily. I agree with you in all of the allusions relating to Jig's wanting of keeping the baby, but why do you think she won't tell the American explicitly that she wants to keep the baby? Sorry if I'm asking too many questions.
DeleteI agree that Hemingway's concise sentences and ambiguous diction makes the reader really think about what the story is about. It also makes interpreting the ending of the story even more confusing. I interpret your quote as the American man moving the bags over to the other side of station as him trying to respect Jig's will. With the symbolism of the environment/train tracks and Jig's bright smile, I am leaning towards Jig keeping the baby. I have a question though. How would you interpret this quote? "The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain..." Do you see the cloud as rejuvenating the earth (indicative of life, meaning, and Jig keeping the baby), or do you see it as darkness and sorrow covering the fertility of the fields (indicative of the death of the unborn baby)?
DeleteMax, I agree with some of the previous comments-- there are a lot of generalizations in your response! Details, please!
DeleteRedo:
DeleteIn HLWE, Hemingway uses a variety of allusions and ambiguous word choice to make the reader think about what the story is really about. Through these methods, Hemingway reveals the central conflict, Jig's struggle with the prospect of abortion. "Everything tastes of liquorice. Especially all the things you've waited so long for, like absinthe." Here Hemingway alludes to Jig wanting to keep her baby, even thought it might seem that she is not saying anything about it. She feels afraid to blatantly say such a thing, due to the culture of the time, and that she is a stranger in a strange land. The man knows the language and customs, and professing her desire to keep the baby could result in him leaving her here without help. Living in the 1920's made it hard for a woman like Jig to have her opinion taken seriously, adding to her desire to allude instead of state. "Of course it does. But I don't want anybody but you. I don't want anyone else. And I know it's perfectly simple." While here it may seem that the man is attempting to flatter Jig, he is really saying that he only wants her and not the baby. He wants to continue living his life without commitments, an allusion to the lifestyle of Hemingway himself and his fellow Lost Generation writers. Jig wants to finally settle down and have her child, completely opposed to the man's view."I'd better take the bags over to the other side of the station.'" Here is where I am confused. There are several theories as to what this quote means. Some believe that the man is respecting Jig's will, while others are less optimistic. Many point to the man's stop at the bar, in which he looks at all the people acting so normally as a sign that he is contemplating his decision to stay with Jig and have the baby. While it is but one interpretation of many, I agree with the view that the man decides to go along with Jig's wish due to him moving the luggage to the side of life as represented by the lush greenery, and his contemplative time at the bar.
The author of this article, Timothy O’Brien, explained all the symbolism and themes from “Hills Like White Elephants" By: Ernest Hemingway. O’Brien kept referencing to the fact that the girl in HLWE repeated words such as “fine” and “know”. In Italian, the word ‘fine’ means the end, which coincidentally is the last word of the story. Then the author continues going into the depth of how the meaning of the word ‘fine’ enhances the story and forms a symbol of its own. The white elephant is also another symbol used throughout HLWE. A “white elephant” refers to “a precious gift” or something “annoyingly useless” depending on your view points. This is how the man and the girl, Jig, view the baby, either worthless or precious; an ongoing theme throughout the story. A third point that O’Brien states at the beginning of the article is that the setting “carries the entire story”. I agree strongly with this because throughout HLWE the setting is being referred to, either by Jig talking about the hills that look like white elephants, or the two different train tracks. Hemingway is always referencing back to the setting which let us, the readers, know it adds an important contribution the story.
ReplyDeleteWhat does "fine" come to symbolize? How does the setting carry the story? What contribution does it add? Be explicit!
DeleteO'Brien provides an analytical viewpoint of Hills Like White Elephants and makes it very clear that the short story's central conflict is dominance between genders by providing various examples that can be mapped to one gender or the other. The analysis enhanced my understanding of the story by showing and telling me about connections I would not normally make. For example, Jig would be a nickname for the girl. The article defines jigs in various settings, some with negative connotations. This shows a bit of a commonality between Jig and other derogatory items.
ReplyDeleteThe central conflict happens at a train station, a cross road of two paths, and even the setting seems to agree that there is a battle between the white hills and the desert. Jig is pressured to make a choice to either stand up for herself or comply with the man's selfish wishes so that they can keep partying. It is believed that Jig wants the child because she wants to start a family. It's interesting to note that the man has no interest in becoming a father and this could have an effect on how Jig's child is raised. Jig is faced with two choices, to keep the baby or keep the man and it isn't very clear who she choses at the end of the short story when she says "'I feel fine,' she said. "There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine." This could mean that she has either chosen the child and accepts it as a part of her, or has made peace with her decision to have the abortion. O'Brien also talked about somethings that I didn't know were significant like the use of the word 'know' and 'fine'. I wonder if there are other words besides these two that also have significant meaning.
I completely agree with the negative connotations that the nickname Jig implies and how it could relate to the man viewing the girl as just entertainment and something fun to have. This also relates to your interesting point made about how the man has no interest in becoming a father, which could have an effect on how Jig’s child is raised. He is currently viewing this new baby as a burden and could definitely have an effect. This also could bring up another point that the girl has to worry about. If she chose to have the baby, she would likely be happy, but would now have to worry about the father leaving or him staying but having a bad influence on the child. Very good thought about other words with significant meaning; I’ll have to look into that after more discussion.
DeleteGreat response, Kay! What do you think the significance of those words might be?
DeleteI think that in the short story, HLWE, by Ernest Hemingway, allusion plays a big role in revealing the central conflict. The fact that they are discussing an abortion becomes fairly apparent when the American says, "They just let the air in and then it's all perfectly natural" this phrase is alluding to the process of an abortion, by describing the basis of how an abortion is done. Jig finally replies with a concerned question, asking, "And you think then we'll be alright and happy." This quote implies what Jig's biggest fear is. Going through an abortion alone, this alludes that she is afraid of having an abortion because she doesn't know what the outcome will be. Finally, the American lets Jig know that, "I don't want you to do it if you don't want to." This leaves an open end, in that Hemingway alluded that the power lies within Jig, because it is ultimately her decision to get an abortion or not because it is her child that she will be deciding to abort. While, it is clear that there are many allusions that give a clear message to the reader, the central conflict is constantly revealed throughout the story as whether or not Jig will have an abortion.
ReplyDeleteGood start, Jackson. What about the rest of the article?
DeleteIn this analysis of "Hill Like White Elephants", Timothy O'Brien reveals the central conflict to be the discord between the American man and the girl regarding the abortion. The man's diction is that of proof, reason, and simplicity, while the girl's is that of emotion and serious. The analysis really brought out this dichotomy in diction for me. The man simply wants to be rid of this situation while the girl insists that it shouldn't be taken so lightly. Another aspect of the story which the analysis helped me understand was the setting in which this story took place. It was a train station, an artificial building, surrounded by the hills which were nature. The girl tends to cling more to the hills and seems to be searching for something more within them as seen by how she references white elephants. Meanwhile, the man decides to stay simple and direct, similar to the station, in that he wants to simply get to the point. Lastly, this analysis helped me understand Jig's name. The name Jig actually had a numerous amount of negative meanings associated with it, and they all pointed to the fact that the girl was just there for entertainment, not meant to be taken seriously in any way, and that the man was just using her for his own pleasure. Hence, this explains why he wants her to have an abortion so badly, so that he may continue to have fun with just her, without any externalities affecting their relationship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the diction is very simplistic, and Hemingway even repeats the same words and phrases throughout this story. he always has Jig say "I'm fine" and when they speak to each other they answer in a way that repeats what the other said to an extent. This does create a feeling of tension in the novel because as phrases are repeated they feel more and more sarcastic. I agree that the setting was key in this story because it added to the metaphor of abortion and how that affected the relationship between the two, and all of these elements together allows the reader to piece together the puzzle of a story that is very subtle, but has a large message. I really agree with your interpretation of the story, and Jig's name is very purposefully chosen. The fact that he cared so little about her to where he would try to force an abortion on her does show how useless she was to him and how temporary she and their love was.
DeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants”, Hemingway uses word play and significant word choice/diction to bring about the main conflict in the story-sterility vs. fertility. “’It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said.” This is just one of the many examples of the man trying to convince the girl to take the “sterile” path and not have the baby, so they can continue on with their “fun” life full of drinking and partying. “The girl stood up and walked to the end of the station…Far away, beyond the river, were mountains.” Throughout the story, Jig is constantly looking in the distance at these “White Elephant” mountains or hills. This could symbolize her daydreaming of what her future could hold if she took the natural path and had the baby. The “White Elephant” hills symbolize something rare (as in objects in a white elephant party) like the baby. The baby could be a once in a lifetime experience for her and she hoping to accept and value this “White Elephant” gift.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how O’Brien commented on the significance of the nickname, Jig. “The name suggests a dance, the music for a dance, and a joke, for instance, and thereby exposes the man’s ultimately condescending attitude toward her: she is entertainment, material for an interlude, perhaps (O’Brien, 21).” Even this seemingly simple choice of nickname for “the girl” and Jig can show a conflict in the story. The man views her as entertainment and just something fun to have. This expresses a very condescending attitude toward the girl, making it seem as if the man would have the final say in this decision, even though it’s the woman’s body.
I am also still a little unsure of the ending and what the author thought when he finished the story. At first I just thought the girl was being sarcastic to the man again, but once we went over it and I read it again, I began to think that maybe she had decided to have the baby after all. O’Brien takes it one step farther and says, “…by self-reflexively concluding the story with the word “fine,” Hemingway calls attention to his authorial control over his character and thus undermines any autonomy she tries to express (O’Brien, 24).” I am a bit confused as to what he is trying to say here, but maybe on the track that Jig is being sarcastic again or she is just trying to end the intense conversation, so she allows the American to keep his “superior” power and says, “I feel fine.”
I agree that Hemingway's diction had a big impact on the story. I found the "white elephant" hills especially interesting as a symbol for something that may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Jig. The way that Hemingway writes so that every detail is important, even the repetition of simple words or Jig's name, is fascinating. Personally, I enjoy pieces like these that are filled with possibilities for interpretation and require just as much consideration to understand it as there is to write it. In addition, I am also perplexed by the ending because although there seems to be evidence that supports that Jig refused to have the abortion, the interpretations that say that Jig agreed to have the abortion are also quite convincing. (For example, the argument about "fine" meaning "the end", implying that the abortion went through.) I think by "calls attention to his authorial control over his character", O'Brien might have meant that Jig is subject not only to the American's control but also to the control of Hemingway himself, as the author. It might have been a way to emphasize Jig's position in the conflict.
DeleteIn the article, "Allusion, word play, and the central conflict in Hemingway's 'Hills like white elephants," O'Brien uses diction and the central conflict of artificiality versus nature to help explain the allusions Hemingway used in his writing style. Critics have debated for years whether the hills that the girl was referring to represented sterility or fertility, but O'Brien hypothesizes that the entire story's main conflict is not connected to that at all despite its very big influence on the story. He postulates that it is between the artificial American and the natural girl. The American represents the artificial new world by his overuse of simple words such as, "really" and "just," and his not wanting a baby(which signifies nature). He is also never connected to anything natural by Hemingway, he's always connected to the artificial bar, beer and the station. Even the name he calls her, "Jig," which is the name of a dance, represents his attitude towards her of wanting only to have fun and nothing more. On the other hand the girl represents nature because in some points of the story she wants to keep the baby and have a family. Nature is also associated with innocence hence why Hemingway calls her a girl. She is also connected to nature because she talks about the hills and at one point gets up and walks towards the river and mountains. She becomes less and less infatuated with him as the story goes on, just like us, as the words, "know" and "fine" are more and more frequently used. But also like the world today, in 1927 the world is becoming more and more industrialized (artificial) and this is represented by the sheer overpowering of the American in the dialogue between the two. Throughout the story, he passive aggressively convinces her to have the abortion. In the end, it seems that she gives in to him despite her saying, "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine." Although it seems like she's putting her foot down, the last word she says is, "fine," which judging from Hemingway's style could mean that she gave into him and got the the abortion, alluding to nature giving in to the inevitable industrializing world around it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that the word "fine" has a subordinative connotation. Like you said, although it may sound like she is putting a foot down and taking a stance towards her beliefs, Jig is actually agreeing with the man, because she feels like she has no other choice. Also, the time the two wanted to have in the bar was described as a "fine time" however, they could not have anymore "fine times", consisting of drinking and partying, if they were to have the baby. Additionally, Jig states that she'll, "do it and then everything will be fine". With that being said, the word "fine" is sort of an agreement to the man's wants, thus she must have had the abortion due to the use of the word in the final line.
DeleteIn the article, the author argues that through dialogue and the occasional descriptive words that Hemingway does use, in "Hills Like White Elephants", repetition, puns, and allusion hint at the central conflict between the man and the "girl"
ReplyDeleteFirstly, the description of the two train stations mirrors the tension between the girl's desire to have a baby and the man's strong opinion against it. There are two choices in which the two must choose from: the natural, lush side with rolling, white-elephant hills, or the artificial barren side. While the natural side represents life, the empty side signifies death, or the choice of having the abortion. This is further represented when Jig is noticing the "river through the trees"(276) on the lively side, while the man is completely oblivious to its beauty, and only looks at "her and the table" and at their "bags against the wall of the station". These small descriptions and details help the reader to understand the conflict, regarding the tension and contrast between the man and the girl, and also helps the reader understand the man's apathy towards the woman's choice in wanting "life".
In addition, the girls name, "Jig" represents her position in her life when compared to the mans. A "jig" could mean a joke, foolish dance, or even a machine. With that in account, Jig is obviously being dominated by the man, and is not taken seriously by him whatsoever. She is subordinate, thus, her choices come second, and the man gets the ultimate decision.
Finally, Hemingway uses subtle diction in order to illustrate the conflict and characterize the two. For example, the word "know" is used constantly. In order to pressure the girl into having the operation, the man states that he has, "known lots of people who have done it". The man and his "knowledge" is not enlightening or respectful at all- it is simply used to control Jig into doing what he wants. An allusion to the Bible is also made by using the word "know". In the story of Adam and Eve, the concept of knowledge is used to describe the disharmony between nature and the two humans. Thus, it may resemble the tension and distantness of the two's fragmented relationship. Furthermore, the word "fine" is used consistently, and this word is associated with Jig having the abortion. The two were hoping to have a "fine time" at the bar, however, got caught up in the abortion argument. With that in mind, the word "fine" may represent the the girl and man drinking, partying, and simply having a good time- the man knows they cannot do this if Jig chooses to have the baby. Also, Jig tells the man that she'll "do it and then everything will be fine". This further illustrates that the abortion is associated with being "fine". At the end of the story, Jig says "I feel fine". Because the word is associated with aborting the child, she must have gotten the abortion in the future. In conclusion, allusion, diction, and word-play aid in depicting the story as Hemingway intended it to be read, allowing the reader to make assumptions in concern to plot and the dynamics of Jig and the man's relationship.
Fantastic response!
DeleteIn this article, O'Brien focuses on Hemingway's diction to explain the central conflict of "Hills Like White Elephants". According to O'Brien, the real conflict of the story is the conflict of women succumbing to or resisting men's wills. He describes the man as a representation of artificiality and all men who try to overpower women both physically and mentally, while he describes Jig as a representation of nature and women who are powerless to do anything but succumb to men's wills. One example of this in the story is when Jig comments on the hills in the distance that look like white elephants. Jig's simile is creative and alludes to nature, but when she tries to explain it to the man, who refuses to understand with his strictly rational mind, she soon gives in and explains how they logically appeared to have similar coloring to white elephants through the trees. O'Brien further explains the man's connection to man-made things and Jig to natural things. Throughout the story, the man is associated with the bar, beer, and abortion - all man-made - while Jig is associated with the hills, the valley, and natural pregnancy and childbirth - all natural. Even when they look at the table, the man looks at Jig and the table, while Jig looks at the ground the table stands on. O'Brien gives another example of the man trying to overpower Jig when she attempts to reconnect with the nature that the man has tried to alienate her from. Even when she expresses her feelings of alienation, emphasized by her standing outside of the shade of the station, the man dismisses her feelings and tells her to come back under the shade, saying that she shouldn't feel that way.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how O'Brien analyzed Hemingway's use of the word "fine". There are many interpretations of the word that imply that Jig decided to go through with the abortion. For example, the word is found in "refined", a word that implies that something is artificial or induced by man, as well as "confinement", something that the man imposes on Jig to discourage her from her natural impulses and to keep her under his control. O'Brien argues that the "fine" used as the last word of the story means "the end", suggesting that Jig succumbed to the man's wishes for abortion. However, I disagree with his interpretation. I am convinced of the significance of the man's moving their bags to the other side of the station that had fields of grain and a river, along with other symbols of fertility. Before he returns to Jig, he stops at the bar for another drink, as if to recollect his thoughts for what is to come. When he joins Jig, he asks her if she feels better, and she smiles at him and tells him that she feels fine, as if thanking him for complying with her wishes to keep the baby.
Very insightful, Rachel!
ReplyDelete