"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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The author of this article, Stanley Renner, evaluates his opinion of what the actual conclusion to the indeterminate ending of the short story “Hills Like White Elephants" was. The author develops his idea by relaying the story and providing commentary, evaluating significant features implemented by Hemingway. This commentary is used to aid and substantiate the author’s claim, such as discussing the picturesque setting and its significance, the characters’ roles and positions in the relationship, and the curt dialog used. The author of the article not only directs attention to the dialogue expressed and how it was expressed but also where it was expressed. Discussing, for example, how the setting was used to express the girl’s repressed thoughts and emotions. I agree with the author’s thoughts on the girl’s “smile” to the waitress near the end of the story, suggesting that it wasn’t a fake or sarcastic smile. Rather, the smile emitted by the girl levies the idea that her mind has been made up and that she’s satisfied with her change of course; satisfied with not having an abortion. I also liked the author’s analysis on the girl’s name, taking heed of the fact its infrequent mentioning and its correlation to the jerky to-and-fro motion of any mechanical device, relating it to sexual intercourse. This analysis, though being revolved around the girl primarily, is thorough and developed logically. The author’s key ideas support the claim of the conclusion supported by a minority (that the girl had an abortion) as he provides his own commentary and analysis of the story chronologically.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the dialogue was key to this passage in that it conveyed most of the meaning throughout the passage. Also the setting created a dichotomy between the natural and emotional world of the girl and the simple and direct world of the man as seen by the hills and the train station respectively. I also agree that the girls decision in the end was not not have an abortion. She yearns for something more and doesn't just want to be used by the man for his own pleasure. Lastly, I completely agree with the fact that the name was very purposeful in showing how the girl was just a fling, and that she was something temporary to the guy.
DeleteI agree that setting played an important role. I included the analysis on Jig's smile in my comments as well and completely agree with the authors suggestion. And I thought the suggestion about the girls name was very interesting.
DeleteStanley Renner, the author of the this article, takes the reader through the story of Hills Like White Elephants while providing an analysis of the characters and the setting and how they apply to the idea behind the story by Hemingway. The analysis provided by Renner helps readers enhance their understanding of the story by explaining the different stages Jig goes through in this story, how the setting represents the different perspectives of the characters, and how the dialogue indirectly sets the characters’ attitudes forward. First Renner explains how Jig goes through different stages in the story. He explains how Jig is first a mere subject to the empowering “American” as he takes the role of the leader in their relationship because “he knows Spanish, the language of the country in which they are traveling, he is knowledgeable about drinks, and he is in charge of their luggage and thus, presumably, of the destination of their travels.” (Renner, pages 28-29) The next stage is that Jig takes a stance. Renner explains that she takes her stance when “The movement climaxes in her exasperated outburst: ‘Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me.’” (Renner, page 31) Renner then explains that her belief in not going through the abortion strengthens as she refuses to listen to the American man and states that “I’ll scream,” (Hemingway) if he keeps talking. The final stage Renner describes is the stage when the man became accepting of Jig’s decision when Renner states “On the other hand, it occurs to him, other people survive the experience he is facing.” (Renner, page 36) Renner explains each of the stages and how the relationship and the decision of the abortion shaped in each step. The next aspect which helped strengthen the understanding of the story is when Renner explained the opposite settings of the story. Renner stated that the setting of the story was divided based on what Jig wanted and what the man wanted. Renner explained how Jig believes in a positive future with the child and how the environment on her side seems bright when he explains “the trees, the ‘the fields of grain’ that suggest the cycle of life in nature, the river as the stream and water of life.” (Renner, page 32) Then he explains that the American’s side is barren and empty which portrayed a dull future. Finally, Renner explains how Hemingway’s usage of dialogue helped strengthen the attitude behind each character especially that of Jig. When Jig says “Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me,” or “I feel fine…There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine,” (Hemingway) she is implying that she does not want to go through the procedure. Also when she says “Would you please, please, please, please, please, please, please stop talking,” she is implying that cannot go through abortion. Renner analyzes the deeper meaning behind Hemingway’s phrases and how they serve as a mask to the actual intentions of the phrases. The reader can come to understand and agree with Renner when he states that when Jig smiled, it confirmed the fact that Jig was confident in the decision that she has come to. Renner goes beyond the events in the story and goes on to analyze features such as the girl’s name. Renner explains that the fact she is not given a name and is called a girl indicates that she was the subject in the relationship. The analysis that was made about this story is inquiry behind the intentions of Hemingway. Renner developed strong ideas backed with evidence which can help the reader gain a better understanding of the story and how the characters, especially Jig, has developed through the minor events that occurred in this story.
ReplyDeleteStanley Renner explains how Hemingway left the readers to figure out the story, including what the couple was going to do about Jig's pregnancy in the end. He says that the majority of people think that Jig will have the abortion to be able to stay with the American and a minority of people think that Jig will have the baby. Renner agrees with the minority and takes the reader on an exploration of Jig's development throughout the story. Renner divides the story into four movements. This helped my understanding of the story because it created a more organized way to look at the stages of change in the way Jig expressed her feelings. Renner also enhanced my understanding of the train tracks. He explained how they contributed to the setting and how they signified changes in Jig. When she got up and went over to her side of the tracks (the tracks that were not dry, but instead contained life) it signified that she distanced herself from the Americans influence that she had been following that whole time. She was also able to finally realize that she didn't want an abortion so she started indirectly showing that towards the American. Renner enhances my understanding of the ending. He gives valid points to reflect his belief that Jig did not go through with the abortion. Jig has a change in mood and "smiles brightly." Renner explains how she wouldn't be smiling if she were about to get an abortion. She is also no longer referred to as a "girl," which suggests that she has matured by no longer following the American's ideas. Renner's ideas of what Jig did at the end were similar to the ones I had, but his analysis really helped me to better understand why I had those ideas about Jig and about the outcome of her pregnancy. I definitely agree with his views and points. One thing that I found really interesting was the suggestion of the name "Jig" was not really the female's name and that maybe the American gave that name to her to suggest sexual innuendo (since he is the only one that called her that). Overall, I enjoyed the Analysis and have a better understanding of the story.
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