Hills like White Elephants Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hills like White Elephants - Coursework Example The setting is in Spain, and the fact that the man speaks Spanish puts him in a decidedly advantageous position compared to the girl. Jig has to rely on the American while they are in Spain; or, it is likely, she had to rely on him in all the places they visited. Their relationship is one of imbalance and inequality. Jig is dependent on the American, and obviously she feels compelled to abide by his decision to abort their child, even though the man places the moral responsibility upon the woman (he pushes insistently on the operation being simple, but purports to go through the operation only if she wished). Hemingway meant for the setting to contribute to the central theme, which is Jig’s dilemma of undergoing the abortion. The symbolism is clear that the setting contrasted the barrenness of â€Å"this side† with the fruitfulness of â€Å"the other side.† The station is midway between the two. These are evident in the lines: â€Å"Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains. The shadow of a cloud moved across the field of grain and she saw the river through the trees.† The setting is a symbolism for Jig being midway in deciding whether to have the abortion (barrenness) or having her child (fruitfulness). The shadow of the cloud moving across the field of grain shows that she may have considered that deciding to keep her child has become a dim prospect, in the face of the American’s insistence that the abortion is â€Å"an awfully simple operation.† The hills appearing like white elephants symbolizes the child they would have, which is now far off in the distance. The white elephant in Thailand is both blessing and curse – blessing because it is rare and considered valuable, curse because it may not be put to work and thus is fed and cared for