Jig In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants

They say that hard times can change someone and their perspective on life. The girl, Jig, in Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants,” starts off in the beginning of the story seemingly dependent on The man and gradually starts to become more in control of the situation and her own life. Growing tired of all the traveling her and The man’s life entails, learning of the man’s conditioned love and his persistence of him wanting her to get the operation has Jig starting to see life through different eyes. Towards the end of the story, after the conversation between The man and Jig about the operation, he goes to ask her if she feels better and she tells him, “I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.” (638). Hemingway does not leave many hints about the two characters and their lives, however from Jig saying, “That’s all we do, isn’t it – look at things and try new drinks,” (636) he allows the reader to understand that the couple has the same routine and Jig is growing tired from it. From the statement Jig does not sound too excited about her and The Man doing the same thing all the time. “There were labels on them from all the hotels where they had spent nights.”
She is not sure of which decision to make and in the beginning of the story she appears willing to let the man decide. As the story goes on and her and The man’s conversation evolves the reader can tell that Jig is tired from the excess traveling that they do, understands that the man’s love is conditioned on if she gets the abortion or not, and his continuous efforts of trying to convince her to get the operation done regardless of her feelings. Everything has lead up to Jig becoming relaxed and sure of herself now. She may not know what decision she will make when it comes to the abortion, but she knows it will be her own and The man will not be able to say anything against