Introduction
Short stories and reading overall sometimes seem to be simply a form of entertainment. However, in reality, characters in these writings often provide readers with answers to the questions of the meaning of life or the importance of various values. A story by Ernest Hemingway called “Hills Like White Elephants” is one of the writings that encourage the reader to spend a little bit of time interpreting their meaning. As mentioned by an academic scholar Nilofer Hashmi in his article “Hills Like White Elephants: The Jilting of Jig,” every single detail in this story plays a vital role in its value (74). Throughout the story, readers can experience the development of the main character who’s name is Jig. While, at the beginning of the reading, she is passive and submissive, with time Jig gains confidence and changes her attitude. In addition, the existence of non-human antagonists, such as the hills and the social environment, helps the reader to identify the shift of the girl’s personality. Therefore, this essay will examine the character of Jig, prove that her personality is dynamic, and discuss the girl’s non-human antagonists in the story.
Main text
Even though the readers are not exposed to the previous life of Jig, it is clear from the start that the girl is passive and maybe even afraid of the American. One of the good examples where Jig’s submissiveness can be identified is the process of choosing a drink. The girl asks the American to try a cup of alcohol called Anis del Toro; however, when the waiter specifies whether she wants it with water, Jig is not able to answer the question herself. Contrarily, she says, “I don’t know” and gives the man a chance to choose the ingredients of the drink (Hemingway 229). This situation proves that the girl is not able to make even the most natural decision herself. Instead, she relies on the American and does whatever he asks her to do.
Besides, when the readers are finally presented with the central conflict of the story, Jig portrays her childlike behavior again. While the man convinces her to make the operation which will help them to bring back their happy lifestyle, the girl talks with the American in an insecure and childish way. Jig says, “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” (Hemingway 231). Thus, the girl thinks that if she decides to do an abortion, their love will be saved, and no more problems will occur. Jig excludes her personal opinion and tries to find happiness in the American and his feelings towards her.
Although throughout the story, Jig proves to be utterly dependent on the American, by the end of the reading, she changes to a girl who is less afraid to express her opinion. That is why it can be justified that the character of Jig is dynamic. First of all, pregnancy has significantly changed the girl’s view of things. Before the appearance of the “issue,” she was a different person with whom the American could share fun and entertainment (Hashmi 77). Hashmi also concluded that “Jig has now become dissatisfied with the earlier superficial lifestyle and wants more” (77). The unhappiness is the first thing that contributes to the shift of Jig’s character in the story – she no longer wants to have fun but instead seeks a new lifestyle that includes bringing up a child.
Secondly, by the end of the story, Jig shifts from being a girl who desperately tries to convince the man to leave the child to a woman who can take control of the situation. For a considerable amount of time, Jig does not give up and believes that the American will change his mind. However, his stubborn nature makes her realize that she will not succeed. As indicated by Hashmi, “she realizes that further attempts to convince him will be useless, and she has little desire to hear more of his protestations” (79). Consequently, this leads to a change in the way she speaks with the man. If before she responded tenderly, trying to find respectful phrases to minimize the conflict, now, she screams at him with an attempt to finish the conversation. Jig says, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” but when the man continues to communicate she warns him, “I’ll scream” (Hemingway 232). This specific moment in the story shows that Jig is no longer afraid to say whatever she wants and is aware of the man’s desires.
The first example of Jig’s non-human antagonists, which contribute to the dynamism of her character, is the hills. The mountains, which the girl perceives like white elephants, symbolize the imaginative life where the American lets her keep the child, and they live happily together. For this reason, the hills can be described as an obstacle for the character, which makes her unable to perceive reality objectively. Jig mentions, “We could have everything, and every day we make it more impossible” (Hemingway 231). By saying this, Jig refers to pregnancy as something that will take away the possibility of having the whole world.
Moreover, Jig mentions the hills more than once throughout the story. This fact indicates that despite the negative comments of the man, she is fully drawn towards the experience of life her child could bring. The way Jig walks towards the end of the platform just to see the hills gives an additional hint that the life she imagined is so desirable, but, unfortunately, impossible. Hills create the inner conflict: Jig would like to keep the pregnancy, but her love for the American is too strong. For this reason, she leaves the hopes for her imaginative world forever by saying, “Once they take it away, you never get it back” (Hemingway 231). Therefore, the symbol of hills influences the development of Jig as a dynamic character as it highlights the shift from a childlike girl to a person who understands the difficulties of reality.
The second illustration of a non-human antagonist is the social environment in which the actions are happening as it does not let the girl be free in her expressions. The story is written at the times when women were members of the oppressed group and did not have enough authority to say whatever they want. From the very beginning of the short story, the American has superiority over Jig. He says, “Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything” (Hemingway 229). This statement indicates that the man has control over Jig and does not want to hear her opinion. Consequently, the social environment hurts the establishment of Jig’s personality but, at the same time, underlines her desire to take control.
Furthermore, during the story, the readers may find evidence that Jig has a needy social position. As it was already mentioned, Jig relies on the American when choosing a drink. When she wants to order something more, the girl asks for the man’s permission to do that, for instance, “Could we drink something more?” (Hemingway 230). Besides, during the whole short story, it is unclear for the readers if the girl has any income. She never pays for anything that, eventually, puts her at a real disadvantage in front of the American. He cares for the financial part of their trip; hence, Jig develops a feeling of dependence and inability to make her decisions.
Lastly, it should be noted that while at the beginning Jig sticks to impossible desires; eventually, she gets back to reality where abortion is inevitable. It seems that from the start of the reading, Jig lives in her imaginary world where she does not go through an abortion and creates a happy family with the American. Jig says, “Doesn’t it mean anything to you? We could get along” (Hemingway 232). It can be seen that the girl is still full of hope for the continuation of her happy life with a child. Thus, after realizing that the man wants an abortion and has only a small amount of love for her, she smiles at him and assures him that everything is fine. Jig accepts the reality and leaves the hopes of being a happy parent of an unborn child.
Conclusion
Overall, “Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story that carries meaning and symbolism throughout. The characters here have specific characteristics that encourage the reader to understand the short story better and analyze the times when the writing was created. Therefore, this essay discussed the personality of Jig, proved that she is a dynamic character, and underlined the hills and social environment as the girl’s non-human antagonists.
Works Cited
Hashmi, Nilofer. “Hills Like White Elephants: The Jilting of Jig.” The Hemingway Review, vol. 23, no. 1, 2003, pp. 72-83.
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. Men Without Women, 1927.