Character analysis Hills like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway

The story has two main characters the woman with the name Jig and a man that Hemingway refers to, “The American man” and an extra minor character of a bar waitress, a woman. Although the relationship between the two is not that sure, they are obviously not married but have a closer relationship that resulted in the girl’s pregnancy. The couple is presented to be traveling across cities in the world although their intentions are unmentioned. This paper looks closer to the three characters in the short story to identify their traits as depicted in the story as well as in current social setting. Jig is presented as a young woman of an unknown origin who is pregnant and the entire story is focused on her pregnancy especially the topic of abortion that Hemingway brings up in the different images and scenes.

As she looks at the view on the horizon, she refers to the hills to look like white elephants, “They look like white elephants” (Hemingway, 1). She is depicted as an outspoken lady who however is in the crisis of whether to have an abortion or not. To get along with her partner she seems to enjoy drinking beer as well as trying new things for they are actually tourists who have been traveling across cities for adventure. In the mentions of a beer brand she doesn’t know of, she is much enticed to try it. “Anis del Toro. He is depicted to have a romantic relationship with the girl, Jig who had recently become pregnant for him. They seem to have traveled together a lot from the luggage across the station that has there, “labels.

on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights” (Hemingway, 3). From how the man asks the girl its evident that he is unhappy and worried about the pregnancy although he never directly mentions the issue. From the way he keeps pestering the girl to persuade her to do an abortion constantly is enough to prove that the man was so much worried about the implications of the pregnancy. The man’s words seem to be rather commanding and not persuasive in nature for his words are not of respect but rather seems to be final. He doesn’t seem concerned with the girl as she flatters of nature around, “Oh cut it out. ” “you started it,” said the girl… “well let’s try and fun time” (Hemingway, 2).

The Woman (Waitress) The woman serves the man and the woman the main character in the story who are constantly conversing about an issue pressing the on whether the girl should get an abortion. Although Hemingway writes her words in English she does not actually converse in English for the man must constantly translate what she says to the girl. The woman beside choosing to rather be silent most of the decisions and comments she makes are all under the control of the man. The story gives the different views people hold on pregnancy and especially in relation to the issue of abortion. The author is much inclined toward the girl’s decisions of not having the abortion and seems to concur with the decision for she would rather marry the man or be a single mother.