Hills Like White Elephants: Analysis - Essay Example

The white elephant is the term used for something that is taken care of or is valued even if taking care of it costs the caretaker important things in his/her life; in this case, the relationship between the American and the girl. This is evident from the confession of the American to the girl he has made in this sentence, “That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway).

It is apparent from the dialogue between the two that while the American is not directly telling the girl to undergo an abortion, he is indirectly pushing her into this act by constantly suggesting that a lot of people go through the operation and it does not cause any harm. On the other hand, the girl seems to be reluctant to contemplate the operation. This is suggestive of a liking for the unborn baby by the girl and a dislike by the American. Similarly, while the girl can see the mountains as white elephants and appreciate their beauty, the American does not seem to relate to the white mountains in any way as he says, “I’ve never seen one” (Hemingway).

The girl says to the American, “No, you wouldn’t have” (Hemingway). This attitude is typical of girls. When a man does not seem to understand or approve of something that is of huge significance to women, women say that men cannot understand because only a woman can understand the importance of that thing. For example, it takes becoming a mother to understand the warmth and passion with which a mother loves her child; a man can never understand this love because he can never become a mother. In response to this, the American says, “I might have…Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything” (Hemingway). Now, this is an attitude typical of men. They are too egoistic to give up even if they don’t know about something.

The girl has several reasons to want the baby just like the Americans have them not want the baby. The American does not want the child probably because it takes a lot of money to raise the child and he does not want to take that responsibility. On the contrary, the girl wants the baby because it would radically change and improve her otherwise mundane lifestyle of mindless traveling and drinking, and would provide her with a reason to live. Read More