Vague intensity wrapped up in a conversation seemingly about nothing but really about a very dark deep topic. Hemingway wanted to tell a story within a story; a dialogue that from a passerby perspective may have been nothing more than a couple who were in a bit of a quarrel. But what is not seen is the undertone of the conversation, the emotions that are subdued, and the resolution at the end of the story. When reading this story it is easy to overlook the fact that there are allusions to the real point of their dialogue that show the seriousness of the chat. It is as if the reader gets the story with Hemingway sitting at a bar watching this whole encounter take place and giving us the facts. He wants us to figure out what was happening, or conclude that there was nothing happening at all.
The two members of this story, the American man and assumed lover of Jig, are at a train stop and simply conversing about a topic that they do not name. The conversation ends with Jig accepting whatever proposition the American has made for her. They then move on with their lives and continue through in their travels. The indicators of abortion are there and rather than bore you with literary techniques that Hemingway uses I will say that he conveys the issue of abortion using both allusions, symbols, and the setting around them. I am far more interested in the characters ability to speak about abortion in this sort of setting, and the impact it has on Jig, juxtaposed to the lack of impact it seems to have on the American.
Psychologically abortion is a terrifyingly detrimental action to partake in on a woman’s body and her mind. It is the separation of a piece of her and the destruction of that piece. In my opinion the baby becomes a “person,” immediately after conception and is therefore a person who can be afforded such rights. I say this only to preface my next point which is the lack of impact or emotional shift the abortion seems to have on the American man is startling and telling of Hemingway I believe. In the numerous Hemingway novels I have read the Americans are never given good portraits in society. It may be the distaste Hemingway has after his extensive travel but I believe that it is his commentary on the plight of human dialogue and feelings. He makes it evident that the two characters are having a discussion or chat about basically nothing while at the same time making a life alerting decision. He also shows the man pushing for the abortion and Jig simply conceding at the end. It is a frightening scene to think about because it also implies that these sorts of discussions can happen all around us due to the fact that people are talking to one another but not really conversing. They are simply stating things at each other and not being a fully active participant, rather simply waiting for their turn.
Hills like White Elephants struck me because of the talk of abortion and the impact it had on Jig. But to me the most startling thing that I took away was the lack of real communication between the two characters. Conversation is allowed to have emotions and feelings, it is allowed to be blunt and coarse at times, it is also supposed to be constructive and productive rather than just existing. The plight of the human voice was a major theme in the story, and I believe that it inevitably led to the abortion. A simple act like communicating that has gone awry led to a devastating conclusion.
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