JIG’S DEVELOPMENT OF MIND IN “HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANT”
Marta Benvinda dos Santos Silva[1]
Márton Támas Gémes[2]

In “Hills like white elephants”, a couple, Jig and the American, discuss whether an abortion is the best way to solve the problems they are having in their relationship. Their conversations show that the man is undoubtedly in favor of it. As he constantly repeats, it is “an awfully simple operation”. (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 40) Jig, on the other hand, seems to be very uncomfortable towards it, acting under pressure. However, she passes through a transformation of mind along the short story, from submissive to independent from her company’s demandings. In this paper, we intend to analyze the woman empowerment against the male dominance. We will therefore focus on the figure of Jig, whose development, can be analyzed in four major moments, according to Renner (1995): ordering drinks at the bar, the discussions about the abortion, the changes on the setting and the last conversations before the train arrives. Jig’s attitude since the very beginning reveals her dependant and submissive character as a woman. When ordering her drinks she felt the necessity of always refer to her companion and ask him for confirmation, as she needed to be sure if she was making a mistake or not:

“What should we drink?”, the girl asked. […] “It’s pretty hot,” the man said. […] The girl looked at the bead curtain. “They’ve painted something on it,” she said. “What does it say?” “Anis del Toro. It’s a drink.” “Could we try it?” […] “We want two Anis del Toro.” “With water?” “Do you want it water?” “I don’t know”, the girl said. “Is it good with water?” “It’s all right.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 40)

As Renner (1995, p. 28) points out, “clearly the American is the leader in their relationship: he knows Spanish, […] he is knowledgeable about drinks, and he is in charge of their luggage, and thus, presumably, of the destination of their travels.” That gives him an advantage. Feeling insecure and indecisive, Jig assumes therefore a passive character and does not oppose his decisions. On the same token, the American continues imposing his own opinion regarding the abortion, trying to convince Jig not to have the baby. “I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s just to let the air in.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 41) Instead of saying something she keeps silent and tries to avoid eye-contact, what confirms she is not willing to talk about it. Wyche (2002) affirms that her body language at first demonstrates they have argued about it before and also that she had strongly reserved thoughts towards it but she cannot find a way to express them. Even though the girl did not have scientific knowledge, she knew that the operation could not be “perfectly simple” as he was stating. (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 41) By listening to the same arguments the man insists giving, Jig addressed him a series of questions and then surrenders: “[…] I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me. […] I’ll do it and everything will be fine.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 41) Wyche (2002, p. 3) highlights that her attitude did not mean “abandonment of self, but an attempt - calculated, instinctive, or both - to elicit a desired response from the man.” At this point, she is starting to realize the impact of her decision on the abortion issue. “Once they take it away, you never get it back.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 42) Her assertion, as a result, broke the man’s stiffness and then he replied to her: “I don’t want you to do it if you feel that way.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 42) The setting plays an important role as well. As Renner states (1995) they serve as symbol of Jig’s movement of mind. Two hills crossed the valley of Ebro, dividing it thus in two sides. One where “there was no shade and no trees” and the other where “there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads”. (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 39) The couple begin having conversations in the first side of the hills. The hot weather coming from the lack of trees and the shade they provide symbolizes the “barrenness and sterility […] of the implications of going through with an abortion and the current state of the couple’s relationship.”(RENNER, 1995, p. 30) Right after assuring that she did not care about herself, Jig stood up and went to the other side of the station, where there were “fields of grain and trees. […] 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.” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 42) In contrast to the aridity coming from the side where the American remained, this new setting represents “fertility, the water of life, fruitfulness – in short, pregnancy as a precious, even sacred, manifestation of the living power of nature.” (RENNER, 1995, p. 32) Moreover, it provides her a great picture of how life would be like without her companion’s pressure and controlling. Whereas the American wanted to restart the argument, Jig did not want to continue with that any longer. “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (HEMINGWAY, 1976, p. 43) For Wyche (2002) the girl has arrived at a conclusion and did not feel the necessity of keeping discussing. As a response to Jig’s former attitude, he moved the bags to the other side of the station, that is, the side where the trees were and Jig smiled at him. Though we cannot assure what the girl’s decision is, his attitude indicates concession. Jig could finally express herself freely. As she said in the last lines of the short story, she feels fine about it.

REFERENCE

HEMINGWAY, Ernest. Men without women. New York: Bantam, 1976.

RENNER, Stanley. Moving to the girl’s side of “Hills Like White Elephants”. The Hemingway Review. v. 15. n. 1. p. 27-41. University of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho. 1995.

WYCHE, David. Letting the air into a relationship: metaphorical abortion in `Hills Like White Elephants'. The Free Library. Sept 22, 2002. Access in October, 29, 2013. Available at Letting the air into a relationship: metaphorical abortion in `Hills Like White Elephants'.

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[1] Graduate student in Letras-LI, of the discipline Literatura Inglesa III, semester 2013.1, at Universidade Estadual Vale do Acaraú.
[2] Professor Ph.D. Universität zu Köln, Literature of the Fantastic.