Hills Like White Elephants Rhetorical Analysis
Pleads for an Operation, not an Obligation Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” sprays bullets of emotion through the reader’s head and heart. It is hard to ignore the insincerity of the American’s persistent pleads for the mother of his child, Jig, to schedule an abortion. It is quite a challenge to not root against the man, as he can be seen by many as the clear antagonist. For such dark schematics, the bearer of the child provides a positive energy for the audience with her apparent preference to ignore the man and spare the fetus. Despite their opposing visions on the future, he ensures Jig that he will care for the child. However, the legitimacy of a claim that he will be an active participant in the child’s life is questionable.
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Finally, she asked, “‘Can’t we maybe stop talking?’” The most blatant deception lays after Jig takes a moment to gaze across the hills. Of course, he refuses to grant her the break from the conversation about the abortion that she requests. “‘You’ve got to realize,” he said, “‘that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you.’” She asks, “‘Doesn’t it mean anything to you?’” He responds, “‘Of course it does. But I don’t want anybody but you. I don’t want anyone else. And I know it’s perfectly simple.’” This section of the dialogue demonstrates the pure, foulness of the man. She asks him if the baby means anything to him. He goes on to say it does, but that he doesn’t want want anyone else except for Jig in his life and he begins with convincement again by saying, “‘And I know it’s perfectly simple.’” (the abortion). How can he be expected to care for the child when he doesn’t even care about the child? It is apparent that he is set on the operation, otherwise he would not have brought it up again after she asked him to stop talking about their child and the
Finally, she asked, “‘Can’t we maybe stop talking?’” The most blatant deception lays after Jig takes a moment to gaze across the hills. Of course, he refuses to grant her the break from the conversation about the abortion that she requests. “‘You’ve got to realize,” he said, “‘that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you.’” She asks, “‘Doesn’t it mean anything to you?’” He responds, “‘Of course it does. But I don’t want anybody but you. I don’t want anyone else. And I know it’s perfectly simple.’” This section of the dialogue demonstrates the pure, foulness of the man. She asks him if the baby means anything to him. He goes on to say it does, but that he doesn’t want want anyone else except for Jig in his life and he begins with convincement again by saying, “‘And I know it’s perfectly simple.’” (the abortion). How can he be expected to care for the child when he doesn’t even care about the child? It is apparent that he is set on the operation, otherwise he would not have brought it up again after she asked him to stop talking about their child and the