Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

Introduction

This conversation shows that Jug has made up her mind to keep the pregnancy. This is quite interesting because she engages in an ironical conversation, which is full of satire. This can be observed through the symbols she uses in the conversation. Apart from this, Jig fakes her innocence and shows the surrendering character in so many incidents to win the heart of the American. She deliberately does this to give the American a false perception that women are weak. Jig has captures the exact thoughts, intentions, and feelings of the man regarding the current state of affairs.

She does this by pretending to be less assertive and persuasive. Throughout the narrative, the girl seems powerless, perplexed, and irresolute. For example, she poses a question regarding what they would drink. This shows that the American had to choose the drink they would take. In so doing, she makes the American appear the decision maker. Throughout the discussion, she appears to have mastered the behavior of the American and the surrounding.

To begin with, she tests the seriousness of the American by associating the hills with a white elephant. She says that the hills look like white elephants. The American does not understand what she means. The American goes ahead to claim that he does not know what is being said. The white elephant is a symbolic of the baby, which is an extremely precious item. Here, the irony is explicit because she is clearly going to keep the baby.

Body

She looks indecisive over some statements she makes, but she sends a message. Jig changes her opinion about the beauty of the hills as soon as she discovers that the American is either ignorant. Whereas she puts much value to it, the man does not care about what she says. The woman decides not to abort what she cherishes her life. Jig intelligently finds out from the American that the operation has some side effects. She does this by looking in the opposite direction.

She claims that they could have everything they wished in the world. With time, they would increase their possessions. In the far end, she saw the mountains, the clouds moving across, and the land of grains. She literally and deliberately asks the American what would happen. The American responds that the relationship would be reinstated to where it was before the pregnancy.

The story gives a view of how the two attach values to the pregnancy. While the American sees wasteland, Jig seems to foresee a beauty in nature. Abortion is the issue of concern and Jig does not see success after it is undertaken. She repeatedly tells the American that she will do it to make him happy. She claims that she will procure an abortion because the American does not care about the unborn baby. Jig explains to the American that it is not her wish to abort. She realizes that the American is ready to employ all means possible, including rekindling the once vibrant love, to convince her to terminate the pregnancy.

The woman is smart enough to read notice the tricks of the American. After staring for long to the hills, she makes up her mind. To her, the hill presents an opportunity in the future. The trees and the hills are immovable, which reveal to her that her future is constant and does not entirely dependent on the American. When she says that they could have everything in the world, she accepts to take up the challenges that will come by deciding to keep the child.

When the clouds move and disappear, she engages the American over acquisition of worldly materials. It would be interpreted that Jig understands two things. Their once flourishing love would be gone forever when she decides to keep the child. If she accepts to abort, the chances of her having a baby would be gone forever. To her, this means that if she aborts she will have lost both. This proves that she is not ready to lose both. She asks if they can have the world, but the American says no.

Conclusion

The final statement she utters leaves no doubt that she would keep the baby. In fact, she would do it comfortably. She says that she feels healthy. There is nothing wrong with her. In a personal opinion, there is no crisis. Jig had already made up her mind prior to the meeting. They are both presumably Americans, yet she does not speak or understand Spanish. This appears strange. She left decision-making duty to the American because to her she was already decided.

She gets interested in the new decision. She should go ahead to keep the pregnancy, but at the same time do away with the American. The American seems to be avoiding responsibilities yet he gives false assurances, such as reviving love. Consequently, this can only happen in case Jig accepts to procure an abortion. This confirms that all is over between them.

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StudyCorgi. (2021) 'Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway'. 16 January.

1. StudyCorgi. "Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway." January 16, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/hills-like-white-elephants-a-story-by-ernest-hemingway-essay/.


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StudyCorgi. "Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway." January 16, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/hills-like-white-elephants-a-story-by-ernest-hemingway-essay/.

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StudyCorgi. 2021. "Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway." January 16, 2021. https://studycorgi.com/hills-like-white-elephants-a-story-by-ernest-hemingway-essay/.

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