Journal 10

The characters in "Hills Like White Elephants" are a couple only referred to as "the American" and "the girl", and they're waiting for a train at some bar while having a discussion. The atmosphere is really tense, and emotions are running high. The conversation reveals that the American and the girl are trying to decide on something that seemed to be a pretty difficult, emotional decision. The American wanted the girl to do whatever it was, but not in the mindset she was in. She seemed to only agree to make him happy and didnt care about herself. I had no idea what this story could be about when i first read it, but after I looked at the other posts and found out that it was about abortion, it made alot more sense. I think the author chose to write this story without telling the reader exactly what the issue was to convey the attitude that it was a serious and taboo subject between the couple, and to help set the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

Journal 10

Once I finished reading, my initial response was 'mmm, WHAT?' After going back, and looking at the text, everything (slowly) beings to make (some) sense. The main characters are the girl, and the American man and they are sitting at a train station waiting for their train to arrive, having a drink, and discussing, I think, their reason for heading to Madrid. The setting is very simple, as described by both the girl and man. In the area, the girl notices mountains that she claims look like white elephants. In the dialogue, the conversation about an operation is exchanged between the man and the girl. According to the man, the operation is painless, from what he's heard, and will make them happy. This could, maybe?, be symbolism for the American state of mind as percieved by other countries, how having an operation, to change an appearance could make everything better, and the man love the girl.

Journal 10

The short story is very confusing if you just skim over it and it barely seems to make any sense. But there is meaning to almost everything around the characters. There are two characters sitting at a bar in at a train station. One is a man and he is there with his girlfriend/partner who he calls Jig. There are having a conversation about something that is pretty serious and they are indecisive about what to do. The situation is that she is pregnant and they are talking about an abortion. She refers to the hills as white elephants. A white elephant is a term derived from ancient times and it is a sign of a burden. People would give you a white elephant as a gift and it was illegal to get rid of it. It seems nice but in all honesty it was nothing but trouble, they were very expensive to keep up and obviously its not easy to find room for an elephant. The hills were like white elephants to symbolize that the baby was a burden and taking the road of having the baby would ruin their lives, which they talk about. The train station itself was also symbolism for something. They could go in two different directions, on one side there were hills (maybe her pregnant belly) and the other had a nice flat field (a flat stomach, no baby). They ordered a lot of drinks, you could see they were stressed out and wanted to get away from it. They loved to travel as you can see by all the stickers of the different hotels they had been to together. A baby would change their life completely and wouldn't be about traveling and doing what they love anymore.

journal 10

"Hills like White Elephants" was a very unique story. Hemingway always has a unique way of writing that initiates a lot of thought. In the story there was a man and a women, perhaps and married couple, that had a certain topic they were discussing. As they are waiting for the train the man is stating his thoughts on the decision that should be made, but still letting the final decesion go to the female when he says "I wouldn't have you do it if you didnt want to." This probably is a clue that the operation she has to decide about is possibly an abortion. The man also says "Ill go with you and stay with you the whole time," after he mentions that its perfectly natural and everything will be fine after. Another clue that this could probably be about abortion is when the lady asks if he would still love her. He tells her that he doesn't want anyone else but her. This could mean he just wants things to stay the same, just the two of them. The two discuss this topic at a train station, most likely somewhere in Europe because the destination is in Madrid.

Journal 10

Hemmingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is quite the story for confusion. The two characters are a man and a woman who are introduced to the reader at the beginning of the passage. The setting is said to be at a train station junction that would head from Barcelona to Madrid. The characters seem to be waiting for this train while enjoying a few drinks. The topic of an operation is brought up the reader is left rather clueless as to what kind of operation might be taking place. The only help the reader gets is when the man says “I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in.” This statement leaves the reader pondering more about the operation. As the conversation continues the reader gets a look into the relationship they share. By looking at the context one might comprehend that after the operation their relationship will be fine and that they will go back to the way things were before. Although the man repeats how much he loves the girl, their relationship must be on a bumpy ride. As the train arrives the man leaves the women to take care of the bags. Upon returning he asks if she feels better and she replies “I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine”. This is the statement Hemmingway leaves the reader with. Not answering questions about the operation, why the couple is going where they are going, or even the tone in which the characters are even speaking. Maybe Hemmingway was a man of mystery when it came to his writing style. Maybe he wanted to leave his readers with questions.

Journal 10

In the story "Hills Like White Elephants", there are two characters, a man and a woman. They are waiting at a train depot, somewhere where the woman thinks the hills look like white elephants. The woman character in the story seems to be very pessimistic, while the man on the other hand, is just the opposite, and he tries to uplift her and make her feel comfortable about whatever it is that is troubling her. It seems that something is worrying the woman, causing her to act strangely and get easily upset. I really don't understand exactly what is taking place in the story, because the couple are just at the train station drinking beer and waiting on a train. Throughout the story the woman is trying to make a decision about something, and finally at the end of the story she seems to have made her decision. I still haven't realized what the white elephants symbolize, or what the couple are discussing.

Hills like What?

After reading the passage, I am throughly confused. Hemmingway is a confusing writer and if this passage is any indication of his work, he enjoys baffling his audiences. I assume that the two people are dating or something of that nature because the man and women discuss love and caring. They're relationship must have hit a down point because she tries to ask him if things will go back to the way they were. The whole time they are discussing an operation of some sort. While the women doesn't seem too keen on having the operation she would do it for the man, in attempts to win back his affection or something like that. The man know of the operation and is perhaps more intelligent than the women and seems to be trying to reassure her. The whole time they are drinking beer and it is never really stated what this operation is for and there are no real clues that can hint at what it was like. I get the feeling that the woman is younger and would do anything for the mans adoration, even an operation. I really hope this passage is explained because at this point, I am completely unsure. Her comment about the hills and his lack of response shows that she is perhaps not as serious as him and maybe not wise? I do not know.

Journal 10

The dialogue depicts how the story is perceived. The man is trying to be supported, so his dialogue hints that he is trying to uplift the woman who is facing a fork in the road in which an operation is involved. The story takes place in Spain, where the man and woman are waiting for a train so they can depart to their destinations. The atmosphere is filled with nervousness and riddles. What is the operation she need? Is it an operation she is indeed waiting for? Why is this man taking such an interest in her? The woman is beside herself and doesn't know what to do about her current situation, and the gentleman she meets tries to uplift her and end her anxieties so he can have a peaceful train ride. Overall I would say that this was a strange story. It left me more confused then when I started reading.