Psychological Disturbances in Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example

Hills Like White Elephant Introduction Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephant” is the story of two lovers whose relationship lacks the warmth and closeness of a true love. Their relationship rather shows a sort of listlessness and boredom. Even the conversation going on between the lovers is somewhat mechanical which is devoid of passion. The broader theme of the story is indicating towards the absurd existence of modern man whose life has lost fervor and passion. He is like Sisyphus who was condemned to carry out an absurd job and he did it out of routine. He had no interest in that task. Same is the case with the two main characters of the story whose exchange is marked with disinterestedness and the feeling of absurdity. Story and symbolic significance of the title The two characters are waiting for the train on a station. The American and Jig both are at first discuss about the type of the drink they should take during their stay at the place. Their discussion is about the operation which Jig has to undergo. The male friend tries to make his companion realize that the operation is going to be a simple thing and it will be like “ taking in air”. The girl shows a very strange attitude as she seems to be unconcerned about the operation. The operation is noting for her and she wants to be operated only to please his companion. We get the impression that the operation they are talking about is abortion. The characters’ non serious is evident from their conversation. The abortion of a baby is an unimportant task for them. They have no feelings for the baby whose life they are going to take. They enjoyed their relationship and were least concerned about the consequences of their sexual relationship. They at that time were only concerned with their pleasure. They seem to have decided to take this step in order to avoid the liabilities that are attached with the care and upbringing of a baby. They seem to be either socially irresponsible or economically so poor to bring up a child. The word white elephant denotes burden and the possible birth of the child brings into their mind a burdened life. In this connection, the title assumes a symbolic significance as it alludes to the metaphorical meanings of white elephant— a thing that is a burden on somebody. It is also significant that only the woman feels that the hills are looking like white elephant. The male character is unable to have such type of feeling towards hills. Being a woman, only Jig has the realization that the baby is going to be burden on their life. She expresses her feelings truly and also bluntly utters that the man cannot have same feelings as she have. “ They look like white elephant,’ she said. “ I’ve never seen one, “ the man drank his beer. “ No, you wouldn’t have.” “ I might have,” the man said. “Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything.” ( Hemingway 475). Lack of understanding and agreement between the characters There is lack of understanding and agreement between the two characters. From the above given dialogue, it is obvious that only girl feels that hills are like white elephants. The man is not in agreement and he says that he has not seen such thing. Jig’s remarks show that she thinks that the man is not capable of having feelings like her. They are presented as the two poles that have accidently come closer and can separate at any moment. They are two strangers who are experiencing some emotional and mental barriers. They cannot look into the soul of each other. The following dialogue shows the extent of disagreement between Jig and her lover: “ We can have everything.” “ No, we can’t.” “ We can go everywhere.” No, we can’t. It isn’t ours any more.” “ It’s ours.” “ NO, it isn’t. And once they take it away, you never get it back.” ( Hemingway 477). Jig seems to have no trust in man’s discourse as she asks him to stop talking. The argument gets heated when Jig asks him to keep his mouth shut. The connection of setting and theme The atmosphere of the story is further enhanced by the setting. The action takes place in the hilly valley of Ebro where there are long and white mountains. “On this there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun” ( Hemingway 475). Bencel and Bloom(2009) quote Renner who highlights the importance of stories in Hemingway’s stories and emphasize that setting is always connected with the themes and motifs of the story. The setting in “Hills like White Elephants” is painted as a place which has no shade which indicates the place has no plantation. Long and white hills are the only bounty of nature. This shade-less and tree-less setting is in concord with the theme of abortion and sterility. The setting also has two lines of rails which symbolically show two different paths going to two different destinations. The railway lines show that the two characters have two different destinations. Station in itself indicates a place where people temporarily stay and wait for the train which might take them towards their cherished destination. Barriers Hills are the symbol of natural barrier which separate the people. The people living between the mountains have no idea of the world beyond those mountains. Hemingway unconsciously seems to have emphasized Robert Frost’s theme of barrier through his setting in the story. Railway line is another example of the barrier that man has created himself. This is one of those barriers that modern man has created for his own misery. The lines separate people. Quest for happiness Both the characters are in search of happiness. They think that the operation will provide them the happiness they desire. During their conversation, Jig time and again asks her lover whether they will be happy after the abortion. Jig asks, “ And you think then we’ll all right and be happy” ( Hemingway 476). Perhaps they think that the unwanted child may bring problems in their life and the premonitions of future have led them think about their own safety and happiness. This again is a reference to modern man’s flight from the home. In modern living home and family are not the sources of happiness. Modern man seeks pleasure outside the four walls of home. Having children is a thing that calls for different obligations and strengthens the institution of home. But our characters are making decisions about their life and existence outside their homes. A bar at a station is not an appropriate place to talk about such important matters but modern man is so engaged that he compelled such matters at public places. The girls’ reluctance to talk about the issue also shows that she is unconsciously not at ease talking about the abortion at the railway station. The character seems to have no emotion even though the matter is so critical. They are talking about it as they talk about other ordinary matters of life. Drinking and theme of absurdity During the course of the story the characters are involved in drinking. The futility of the situation is further highlighted through this insensible drinking. The serious discussion should not have been punctuated with drinking. The senseless resort to drinking shows the indication of inner tension and anxiety of the characters. They drinking to lessen the pressure they are feeling or they are taking wine to have an escape from this situation. This might be another source of getting the happiness they are in search of. The characters themselves are aware of the futility of exercise. Jig says, “ I want to try this new drink. That’s all we do, isn’t it— look at things and try new drinks?” ( Hemingway 476). Resseguie states that “ Hemingway employs physical props to describe the emotional landscape of his characters…. After two Anis del Toro are ordered the girl comments on the distinct flavor: ‘ It tastes like licorice’”(16). This according to Ressegui shows the tedium of their life. The tastes of everything is same. Life has lost its variety of flavours. Conclusion To conclude we can say that Hemingway’s story “ Hills like white Elephants” depicts the futile existence of modern man. The feelings of loss and listlessness have snatched the man deep interest in life. He has become dispassionate in his relationships and is unable to enjoy the blissful passions like love. Lack of seriousness is obvious from the conversation of the main characters who are talking about a critical issue of their life in a matter of fact way. They have developed some emotional boundaries which have made them stranger to each other’s feelings. Their quest for happiness becomes meaningless when we come to know that they do not even care about themselves. They realize the futility of their existence. Works cited Becnel, Kim, and Harold Bloom. Blooms How to Write About Ernest Hemingway. New York: Blooms Literary Criticism, 2009. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants." The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ed. Ann Charters.. Boston: Bradford/St.Martins, 2003. 475-78. Print. Resseguie, James L. Revelation Unsealed: A Narrative Critical Approach to Johns Apocalypse. Leiden: Brill, 1998. Print. Read More