Symbolism and Theme(s) in Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants"

"Hills Like White Elephants" is a story that is very difficult to understand, especially the first time through. I had to read this story three times before I even had a sense of what was going on and even then I had to do some side research to fully understand what was happening.

The theme that stood out the most to me was lack of communication. Sure, the whole story is a man and a woman talking about a pretty serious issue. . . but through out the story I didn't get a sense of them truly communicating. They were both saying things that the other didn't want to hear and it didn't seem like they were really trying to hear each other out. For example, the American man tries and tries to convince the woman to have the "operation". He tells her that he loves her and that she can make the decision, but then goes on to say that things will be easy and back to the way they used to be if she would just have the "operation",  The woman goes back and forth, indecisively, but obviously upset because she doesn't want the operation, but also wants the man to be happy. She gets to the point where she agrees to a\have the operation just to get him to stop trying to convince her. "Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?" (Hemingway 371). And with that the conversation was over and nobody is going to get what they want. The woman is going to get the operation and likely, things will still never go back to normal.

The hills like white elephants is the huge symbol in the story. These hills symbolize something nobody ever wants-- In this particular story, the unborn child. At the beginning of the story, the woman says, " They look like white elephants." (Hemingway 368), referring to the line of hills she was looking at. You think at this point that it is just a casual remark, but later realize it is the beginning of the conversation about possibly aborting their unborn child. Later in the story she takes back her comment and says that the hills don't really look like white elephants-- this seems like a hint towards the fact that she actually wants to keep the baby. Because of their communication issues that I mentioned before, the man doesn't seem to understand that she changed her mind about the abortion. Actually, she even says that the hills only seemed to look like white elephants at first glance, and that they're actually quite lovely. This is a clear metaphor, comparing the hills to the baby. . . saying, at first finding out that she was pregnant seemed like a tragedy, but then it seemed like a blessing. You might also say that Hemingway chose to use elephants referring to the common idea of a "huge elephant in the room" known as something no one whats to talk about.

"Hills Like White Elephants" is truly a sad story once you finally understand what is going on. This poor woman is baring and child and she knows her baby daddy wants her to abort the child. The man doesn't even try to understand the other side of things and try to see that she wants to keep her child. I think the part that saddens me most is that I know things like this happen more often than you'd think. . .


Works Cited:

Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills Like White Elephants". 1927. The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction. Ann Charters. Boston: Bedford/St, Martin's, 2011. (368-371). Print.

Desiree's Baby

As I was reading "Desiree's Baby" I couldn't help but think about how I would've felt if this had happened to me. If my handsome neighbor confessed his love for me and asked for my hand in marriage I would not be so quick to say yes. . . but IF I did say yes and marry this man who loved me so and then he suddenly banished me because he thought my blood was tainted I would be outraged!

First off, what kind of man loves a woman oh so much and then can't swallow his pride enough to even try to make things work with his wife and child. I know things are different nowadays but still-- He says he doesn't care about where she came from and then BAM! Nope, not anymore. 

I love love loved the ending (well, besides Desiree deciding to kill herself and her child instead of going home to the people who truly loved her). I can't say it was a huge surprise with all the hints toward Armand's dark skin, but it was a nice little twist of karma slapping Mr.Pride in the face. 

I kind of wish she had gone on further to tell us how Armand felt when he found out about his background. I wonder if things would have been different if Desiree hadn't been so quick to let go of it all. If she had gone home, would he have gone after her to try to fight for her love? Or would he burn all the proof of this African American background and go on to start a new life in denial?

An academic article I found is The Infernal Desire Machines in Anne Thackeray Ritchie’s Bluebeard’s Keys and Angela Carter’s  “The Bloody Chamber”  and it is based on "Bluebeard's Keys" and "The Bloody Chamber". I think the article sounds interesting because it is comparing the two tales, much like we did in class after reading the two stories (Although, this is a different version of Bluebeard). I really enjoyed reading the two tales and think it would be interesting to see others views and comparisons of similar stories, 

Find the article here:http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.pegleg.park.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=20835c96-0925-4554-b97f-b8ca45814368%40sessionmgr4004&vid=3&hid=4208

Oliver Twist & Annie

I know I'm not the only one that immediately thought of "Annie" while reading "Oliver Twist". Think about it. . .  Both feature lovable middle-class orphans, plagued by the absence of parents, surrounded by lower-class orphans. Both groups of orphans have an evil caretaker (Fagin in Oliver's case, Miss Hannigan in Annie's). And both main characters have saviors from a broken system (Nancy for Oliver, Daddy Warbucks for Annie).

Seriously, the stories are basically the same! Put Oliver and Fagin in dresses and Nancy in pants and they might as well be Annie, Miss Hannigan and Daddy Warbucks!

Even though these two stories seem so similar, I don't think the writer of "Annie" was trying to steal Dickens' story. These stories come from the times they were written. Oliver Twist was written to expose how children were mistreated during the Industrial Revolution. During these times children were forced into child labor and recruited by criminal gangs.

In the time period Annie was written the situation was different. Annie seemed to be more based on a corrupt system. Annie wasn't thrown into a workhouse (although, Miss Hannigan didn't seem to understand that).

One more similarity is that "Annie" and "Oliver Twist" have been made into movies and musicals! Now there are tons of ways to enjoy "Oliver Twist" and "Annie". So for all you "I'd rather just watch the movie" people, you have that option for both of these great stories (although I would recommend the originals to anyone that asks!)

Drawing of Annie vs. Oliver

P.S. "Annie" was originally written as a comic strip titled "Little Orphan Annie", by Harold Gray just in case you wanted to check out the original!

Works Cited:

Image: http://deathbybacon.deviantart.com/art/Annie-VS-Oliver-Twist-199235144

Voltaire's "Candide" and Satire

Candide was the perfect example of satirical literature. Even just reading the first few chapters you get a glimpse of his humor and sarcasm throughout each phrase.

A very satirical example that Voltaire was trying to show was when one of the sailors on the way to Lisbon had fallen overboard and James saw this and rushed over to help. While helping the sailor up James fell into the water, while the sailor who was just helped up looked at James and didn't care whats so ever. Voltaire in this section was trying to really emphasize a satirical example of how some people really don't appreciate the things other do for them. The example he gives was showing that although James was so nice and kind to his sailor and saved his life some people are just so evil and moronic that a few seconds after someone saved your life and risked their own life by falling in to save you, you have the audacity to let them drown after they just saved you.

I think my favorite point the Voltaire seemed to be making throughout the chapters we read was through Pangloss's idea that everything in life happens for a reason. That idea that has obviously been spread through the years. Its something that we all have been told thousands of times. Voltaire shows us so many things that happen that just seem. . . bad. This leads to Candide doubting Pangloss's optimistic theory. I think this is Voltaire's way of kind of putting that common idea to shame. Bad things happen and sometimes that's that. There doesn't always have to be a reason or explanation. . . sometimes things just suck.

But, I mean, who knows? Maybe syphilis is the reason why the world can love and enjoy chocolate. . .

These were only a couple of many, many examples of satire just throughout the chapters we read. Through all the awful things that happen in these chapters of Candide you see many points Voltaire was trying to throw in peoples faces. From religion to war we clearly see Voltaire's ideas through Candide in a very entertaining way.

-M