"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 summarizes the key ideas of “Hills like White Elephants” by pointing out the contrasting views of both sides. This allows multiple views to be seen through the dialogue and especially the setting of the short story, with thorough analysis. However, it does not take a position on whether or not the woman decided to have the abortion or keep the child.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read the story, I did not pick up on the fact that the man’s responses seemed to be final and conversationally dead, while the woman’s comments seemed to beg for continuation. The author states that, “…the male’s rejection of emotional language and his goal oriented vocabulary and the woman’s imprecise, emotional, relational language…” (O’Brien 1). I had not previously noticed this, but looking back on the essay, I did realize that throughout the entire essay, the man was attempting to end the conversation by any means possible. Every line that he had seemed to suggest an end to the conversation. While on the contrary, the woman kept bringing up the same points to discuss again or bringing up new points in hopes to keep the conversation going. This really reflected their viewpoints in a way I hadn’t seen before, for the man simply wanted an end to the child and to the conversation. Whereas the woman wanted a continuation of the conversation, and therefore the child.
I agree with what O’Brien says about the woman’s viewpoint regarding the end of the essay. She states, “I feel fine, there’s nothing wrong with me, I feel fine.” This points out the fact that Jig recognizes at the end of the story that there is in fact nothing wrong with her in the first place. Though the man has made his viewpoint clear that he does not want the relationship and that he would prefer to go on with their lives as they already are. But as the woman states that she is fine, she really becomes independent of the man in this moment in a small way. She realizes that the pregnancy is not a bad thing and she decides to go through with it. She says this with a smile because this is what she wants and she has got her way in the end, regardless of if her partner likes it or not.
I found it interesting how O’Brien pointed out Hemingway’s use of the word “fine” and explaining that it helped clearly define the relationship between the couple. Stating that, “fine. Coming from the Latin finis, it furthermore implies the setting of boundaries.” (O’Brien 5). After reading this portion of the article, I referred back to the original text and reread it to look for this trend in the word “fine”. As I read the story again, I realized the numerous times this word was used, especially in dialogue when they begin to come to a decision. This word, as O’Brien pointed out, defines the characters and their relationship. The man is clearly “fine” with his life as it currently is and does not want change, while on the contrary, the woman is “fine” with the pregnancy and sees nothing wrong with it, along with the change in lifestyle.
After reading O'Brien's article, a lot of points were cleared up about this short story. I really liked how you described his analysis of the word "fine". I agree that it defined the relationship of the couple as male dominated, which was important to realize and think about when reading the short story. Additionally, I agree with your assertion that Jig saying she was fine liberated her a bit and made her more independent. Again, I concur with pretty much everything you said, and it was great reading your thoughts on this two-sided topic. Great work!
DeleteGreat use of outside sources! I had not even noticed how the man keeping every conversation brief while the woman attempted to drag them on. That was very symbolic of their desires, as the man wanted to end life (have and abortion) while Jig wanted to have the child. A perfect example would be when Jig continuously claims they can "have everything." Every time she mentions this, the man shuts her down with a quick, aggressive reply of "No, we can't." This expresses that while Jig sees opportunities from having a child, the man only sees the restrictions it would have on their lives.
ReplyDeleteI disagree, however, with your interpretation of Jig's quote "I feel fine, there's nothing wrong with me." Personally, I see this quote as a sign of defeat from Jig, as if she is caving in to her partner's desires. This is implied by the lack of emotion in Jig's remark. If she had truly made the choice she wanted, I feel that she would be relieved and content. There would be an exclamation point perhaps to express that she has made up her mind in a positive way. The lack of emotion however leads me to believe that she did not actually make her decision. She allowed her lover to influence her choice and alter her future actions.
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ReplyDeleteTimothy O’Brien’s analysis of “Hills Like White Elephants” focused on the contrast of different elements of the story and the effect of specific word choices that Hemmingway made.
ReplyDeleteO’Brien discussed an aspect of Hemmingway’s story that I never considered: how the man and the woman reflect the contrast between the artificial and the natural world. “These distinguishing feature—the male’s rejection of emotional language and his goal-oriented vocabulary and the woman’s imprecise, emotional, relational language, for instance—support the central contrast in the story’s setting between the artificial and the natural” (O’Brien 19). Throughout the story, the woman was drawn to nature. She often looked outside, which was shown in the story when she commented on the hills and observed the fields and mountains on the other side of the train station. I did not notice, however, how the man seemed to be completely oblivious to the nature of the world around him. He never looked outside- he looked at the luggage and the people and the train tracks, but he never looked outside. This contrast represents the different wishes of the couple. The woman is associated with fertility, while the man is associated with sterility.
O’Brien also had an interesting focus on Hemmingway’s word choice: “Hemingway’s playful use of the word ‘fine’ is almost as complex as his use of ‘know’; and in terms of the central conflict we have been examining, it is a key to understanding the tone of the story’s conclusion—something that has caused considerable disagreement among the story’s commentators” (O’Brien 23). When I first read the story I noticed the ambiguousness of the word “fine” at the end when the woman says it, but I did not realize how often it was repeated throughout the story. O’Brien opened my eyes to how flexible that word is. It can refer to a number of different things: being ok, purity, refinement, confinement, and my personal favorite, fine, or “the end”. In modern life, the word “fine” can have a positive or negative connotation. Sometimes things are truly fine, as in they are actually ok. In other cases, however, the word is used ironically, making it difficult for others to determine the intentional meaning of the word. This ambiguousness is an important aspect of Hemmingway’s story because contributes to the controversy over whether or not the woman got an abortion.
At the end of his analysis, O’Brien reveals his opinion in what choice the woman made: “The smiling look she gives the waitress (227) and the two times she smiles at the man (277 and 278) in the very last stages of the story imply the male world closing around her, not the strengthening sense she has of her own independence and the man’s stupidity. She looks only at him, not past him and toward the hills” (O’Brien 24). O’Brien believes that her smiling means that she has given up and accepted her fate. However, while this is a reasonable argument, I personally disagree. I do agree that the woman’s smiles were from satisfaction after making a decision. However, I believe that her decision was to follow what she wanted to do and not get an abortion. The story says that the woman “smiled brightly”, implying that her smile was a genuine one. Based on the previous characterization of the woman, I do not think she would be capable of smiling genuinely if she had chosen to give up and obey the man. I think the woman was confident in her decision and truly meant her final words in the story, where she says she felt fine.
I really liked how you described the word fine. The word came up a lot in the story and it always confused me as towards what it meant, but you explained it so well that I actually understand it now. I really like your ironic explanation of the word fine. I'm constantly using the word fine when I'm anything but. Overall you had a really solid argument, and I enjoyed reading your post.
DeleteYou brought up the good point that the man never really took the time to observe his surroundings like the girl did. I had not noticed this and this adds another layer to the short story. Also I agree with Hannah, I liked how you described the word "fine" as well. I had not noticed that "fine" came up too many times, but now that you have brought it up, I do realize it. I 100% agree with you that the woman's smile means that she has decided to get an abortion; I talked about this as well in my primary response to "Moving to the Girl's Side". Overall, this was a very well written response. Good job!
DeleteI completely agree with your post Yawsameen. Word choice really played a hugh factor in the story since Hemingway decided to show little detail as possible. I never really paid much attention to the continuous use of the word "fine", but now that I read your post I went back and realized what I was missing and I completely agree.
DeleteI also definitely agree with the end of the story that woman gives her opinion on the issue as she smiles at the waitress and smiles at the man. By doing this, she portrays that she has made her final decision that she decided to keep the baby. Overall, I really liked your post with a really nice evidence.
"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."
ReplyDeleteAnalyzing Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, O’Brien compares and contrasts the viewpoints between the “American” guy and the girl with him by highlighting the allusion, word-play, and the central conflict that appears in the dialogue. By the conclusion of his analysis, O’Brien appears to take the position that the girl did indeed have the abortion.
Based on my interpretation of the dialogue, I disagree that the girl had the abortion. O’Brien states that the nickname “Jig” represents “a joke…entertainment” and a coincidence, not to be taken seriously (O’Brien 3). However, “Jig” when compared with a joke or entertainment can also be interpreted two ways. The joke could have been played on the “American” guy who believed that due to his aggressive manipulation he could convince Jig to have a “simple” operation (which she fought adamantly). Her name could represent a paradox between her personality, aggressive and animated, and the title she answers to, a joke or trivial.
When evaluating the manner in which Jig and the “American” converse throughout the text, O’Brien notes that the “American’s” language, masculine, overpowers Jig’s influence on the conversation. He highlights that the “American” being that he is male, believes that he “knows” how “simple” the operation will be and denies Jig’s feeling in order to emphasize his power over her. On the other hand, Jig recognizes the potential complications that an abortion may cause; she may never be able to bear children again. I agree with O’Brien that the “American’s” “simple” outlook at life is “not enlightening but controlling” (4).
O’Brien states that when Jig describes her condition “I feel fine”, she actually means that she intends to rid herself of impurities and “end” the pregnancy. Based on my interpretation, when Jig says that she feels fine at the end of the story, she means that there is nothing wrong to fix. The operation is not necessary because there is nothing to fix. Why would she smile “brightly” at the “American” if she decided to terminate the baby that she wanted very adamantly to keep?
Good post. I really enjoyed the structure, it was organized and concise. I read the literary post which argued the opposite point of yours. I had originally thought she went through with the abortion, but after reading my piece, I now believe she didn't. Your post while compelling and informative, did not make me change my mind back; however, your explanation of the ending was very spot on. I think you made a valid argument in which you stated the problem of smiling brightly. This point I had overlooked previously. Good job and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteIn the article "Allusion, Word Play, and the Central Conflict in Hemingway's 'Hills like White Elephants," O'Brien mentions that the diction, dialogue and repetition that Hemingway uses in the story thoroughly depicts the conflict between the woman and her significant other.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, the use of the train station as the setting for the story is symbolic in that it represents the duality of Jig's decision; to have the abortion or not. This is much like trains operate in real life, they go in one direction or another. The conversation between these two people, however, is the complete opposite. This couple is constantly going back and forth about their decision, and the dominance of the "American"(Hemingway, 1), sways Jig's real thoughts on the topic of abortion. Additionally, O'Brien mentions the hills across from the train station and how there are two sides to it, one that is barren and another that is lush and beautiful. Although, these two landscapes are divided by a "river through the trees"(Hemingway, 2) and this could represent the tension and contrasting beliefs between the man and the woman.
In this article, O'Brien also discusses the woman's name, Jig. He says that a jig could be something that resembles a gesture or dance that is foolish or something that is not taken seriously. This is ironic because Jig's opinion, at least in the eyes of the man, is insignificant/foolish. Moreover, Jig is constantly referred to as the subordinate in the relationship, especially as the dialogue progresses. This is expressed when the man says, "It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig." Even though the man might not know anything about the operation, his opinion has a heavier weight in the mind of Jig, especially due to the fact that society was patriarchal back when this story was set in time. O'Brien continues to talk about the diction choices throughout the dialogue and asserts, primarily, that it represents the tension or discomfort that this relationship contains and that it will not last forever.
Overall, the setting and word-play throughout the story contributes to the main idea that the couple has an unstable relationship. This is conveyed through the dialogue of the man and his dominance over Jig. Although, the diction, syntax, and subtle hints about the story, as O'Brien mentions, build towards a reader's assumptions about the decision that Jig may or may not have made at the end of the short story.
Tarun, I thoroughly enjoyed the contents of your response. I was synonymous in the analysis of the use of the word "jig" for her nickname. I also thought that that word represented insignificance of the woman to the man as she was merely a disposable pleasure to him. The word jig just seems like a foolish lighthearted word which, from the man's perspective, is how Jig is described to be in his eyes. I also agreed with your comments on the description of the lush wildlife representing the woman's want for life, contrasting to the man's want for abortion. I saw that although the characters were in major contradiction, the man was simply overpowering the woman even in dialog, which demonstrates that she had an attitude of reluctant acceptance towards the issue. Great response Tarun, your use of concrete evidence and strong commentary and analysis makes for an effective essay
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article the article "Allusion, Word Play, and the Central Conflict in Hemingway's 'Hills like White Elephants,", I was able to create a more in depth understanding of the text of Hemingway. The author of the analytical piece brought up some major points that I was not able to uncover by myself when reading Hemingway’s piece. O’ Brien’s piece analyzed the effectiveness of Hemingway’s use of dialog, diction, characterization to create an in depth plot.
ReplyDeleteO’Brien references the subtle hinting of characterization of the characters within the dialog. With the man’s dialog being more overpowering than the woman’s, the female autonomously is the more passive side of the argument, “I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll like it?” (O’Brien 22). O’Brien references this phrase because it illuminates the dominance the man has over the woman, even in conversation. This dominance can be inferred to extend deeply into their relationship, with the man being the oppressor and enforcer of decisions. Although subtle, the dialog presents in depth characterization that is up to the audience to analyze with immense attention to detail.
O’Brien references the diction of Hemingway to also further the characterization. A primary example of this use of diction is the description of the man’s perspective, being linear and more mechanical, whereas the woman tends to gaze upon the natural wildlife in their surroundings. The man contrasts the woman because h tends to see more of the artificial sights such as the “bags against the wall of the station”, while the woman sees, “the river through the trees” and gazes “across at the hills on the dry side of the valley” (O’Brien 20, 21). O’Brien interprets the diction as the characterization in the story; the man is depicted as the mechanical, practical thinker, contrasting to the woman’s vibrant view on life. Not only does this depict their personalities, it also can lead the audience to deduce the character’s position in the main conflict in the piece. The diction throughout the conversation in the piece subtly alludes to the description of the characters and their contribution to the conflict.
The characterization of Jig initially sounds like that of a joke. O’Brien interprets Hemingway’s use of the word Jig as the female’s name to convey that she is merely insignificant to the man. “It’s really an awfully simple operation Jig” as referenced by O’Brien; this phrase depicts the man’s condescending tone towards the woman even though she is carrying his baby (O’Brien 21). O’Brien arrives at the conclusion that the use of Jig as the female’s nickname characterizes her as insignificant and merely a disposable pleasure to the man. O’Brien references Jig as a derivative of “thingymajiger”, a mechanical term to further describe the man as seemingly lifeless, opposing the vibrant personality of the woman. The characterization of the woman and the attitude of the man towards her can all be encompassed by her nickname, as the nature of the word carries a connotation of insignificance.
The conflict of the story is somewhat coded in the text as a result of Hemingway’s style of writing. O’Brien’s analytical piece breaks down Hemingway’s use of elements such as dialog, diction, and characterization to convey to the audience a greater level of depth that reveal greater characterization as well as progression of plot in Hemingway's 'Hills like White Elephants”.