THE MEANING OF RELATIONSHIP IN HEMINGWAY’S

“HILLS LIKE WHITE ELEPHANT”

Susanty
University of Palangka Raya
susantyrampay@yahoo.com

Abstract: This article is intended to postulate the position of women described

well by Hemingway as a girl called Jig in “Hills like White Elephants” as a
marginal part of a patriarchal society. Difficulty is found in describing the
exact nature of a man-woman relationship in Hemingway as the woman
characters are so thinly portrayed. “Hills like White Elephants” suggests
a relationship between the meaning of white elephants and the man’s at-
titude toward the unborn child. The relationship presents the representa-
tion of boredom, desperateness of life, the sense of lost happiness, and the
awareness of the failure of love. The story also can be defined into a two-part
theme. The first is a commentary about the way selfishness can corrupt a re-
lationship. The second comments on life and what it means to bear life.

Keywords: attitude, character, Hemingway, relationship, women

The position of women as a marginal part involves give and take, sacrifice and respon-
of a patriarchal society is described well by sibility and that a woman’s feelings should be
Hemingway as a girl called Jig in “Hills like taken into consideration.
White Elephants”. The female characters have On the reading of Hemingway’s short story,
the problem in her marriage and in their life we may not get the true nature of man-woman
and she tries to react and give her opinion or relationship which Hemingway approves. His
argument to reduce the problem. It is difficult stories have many meanings sometimes and
to describe the exact nature of a man-woman we have to catch the true meaning carefully.
relationship in Hemingway as the woman We may be inclined to think that Hemingway
characters are so thinly portrayed. The male deliberately makes the woman less than the
characters, on the other hand, have such gi- man and that the woman is subservient to the
gantic egos that it is not possible for them to man. To blame Hemingway as an insensitive,
achieve any but the most unsatisfactory level one-dimensional man is to condemn his art.
of relationship with their women: a relation- Objective readers, however, would recognize
ship of animal attraction or infatuation. Their that Hemingway wants his readers to focus
silly interaction of the need to protect their on the male protagonist in his fiction. This is
freedom does not justify their initial need for because the male protagonist has the courage
woman. They are largely so full of themselves that takes into account physical power, brute
that they are incapable of responding to their force and a corresponding mental freedom
female partners’ feelings and sentiments. from fear. Second, the world of Hemingway
Male character is unable to comprehend that is the world of man where the man is guided
a love-relationship is a two-way channel that by the sole yardstick of courage. The woman

Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012| 1

has neither the scope nor the rightful place characters and have strong will.
in it. Here man single-handedly pursues his The Theme of Relationship
manliness without seeking help from woman
Characters are similar to people in the real
or without being dependent on her.
life. People are seen as either using their Val-
On the surface, Hemingway seems to por-
ued Relating Style and feeling empowered
tray love, marriage, and women as inevitable
and rewarded, or using a non-preferred style
paths to heartache and injury. Yet, one must
and feeling devalued and unrewarded. If the
consider the female characters in Heming-
environment provides opportunities for an
way’s works that do not intend to wound
individual to use their Valued Relating Style
those they love. Hemingway’s art so often as-
and rewards the subsequent behavior, the in-
sociated with his public persona as above all
dividual usually reports feeling good about
the masculine, indeed macho writer beat its
him or herself and good about their relation-
finest when it is dealing about men without
ships. Their sense of self-esteem rises and their
women and about the ambiguities of sexual
sense of well-being are enhanced. If, on the
experience.
other hand, the person is consistently denied
The woman’s point of view is again cen-
the opportunity to use their Valued Relating
tral to “Hills like White Elephants”. This is
Style, there can be serious consequences. It
episode-story, presenting simply a couple’s
is assumed that every individual has some
forty-minute wait at a small Spanish railway
quantity of each of the personal strengths in
station and their conversation about (it is im-
their makeup. The degree of each strength
plicitly clear but never stated) the woman’s
varies from individual to individual. In other
proposed abortion. The story is almost entire-
words, no two people are exactly alike, even
ly made up of simple dialogue, and its success
when the personal strengths that they use
lies in the way this dialogue is charged with
most frequently are the same. The story here
tone and implication. The man’s detachment
illustrates terrific relationships. It gives us a
and the woman’s deeper emotional involve-
picture of what causes tension in relation-
ment and anxiety emerge sharply in their
ships and the quality of listening is vital to the
tense exchanges. The brevity of the story and
relationship.
the absence of tonal markers (adverbs, for in-
Move to the first story, “Hills like White
stance) make for an active participation by the
Elephants”, touches the issue of communi-
reader. In a similar way the title’s relation to
cation problem in a relationship. The story
the story prompts the imaginative response.
flows through the conversation between the
It evokes both the place and her response to
two main characters, the American and the
it.
girl, called Jig. The American seems to love
Many of Hemingway’s stories, though os-
adventurous life, traveling and seeing new
tensibly “without women”, gain their signifi-
sights. He chooses his words advantageous-
cance and point from the fact that women’s
ly, almost deceitfully when trying to convince
presence is still felt significantly in the back-
the girl that an abortion is easy surgery, “It’s
ground. Women seem unable to move out-
not really an operation at all” (Hemingway
side of the societal boundaries without nega-
275). This remark reveals how desperate he is
tive consequences. They may assume as the
to make the decision for the girl. Meanwhile,
following characteristics: subservient, accom-
by the end of the story, the girl or Jig knows
modating, dependent, unstable, weak, self-
that the abortion will cause their relationship
less, restrained, sacrificing, inferior and pas-
to fail, but she does not want to give up. Like
sive. Despite these claims, all of the characters
Jig and her boyfriend, we have to face the
in these selected stories are actually strong

2 |Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012

similar situation. Along with the anxiety of to her unborn child the “shadow of a cloud”,
our minds, nature also responds in a mean- which represents the abortion of the fetus,
ingful way. This feeling is quite intense. The overcomes her happiness. After an exchange
act of abortion is not new in human culture of words with the man, she again looks at the
and activity, and although we find it in this scenery, but this time in a different way, as
story in the American society, it is familiar as the following sentence illustrates, “They sat
well in every part of the world. down at the table and the girl looked across
Hemingway begins the story by giving the the hills on the dry side of the valley and the
details of the setting. The openness and lone- man looked at her and at the table” (Heming-
liness around the railroad station imply that way 277). The man is obviously in favor of the
there is no way to back out of the problem at abortion, and everything he says is an effort
hand and that the man and the girl must ad- to persuade her into it. As she considers his
dress it now. The heat turns the scene into a point of view she looks at the dry side of the
virtual teakettle, boiling and screaming under valley, which is barren and sterile, symboliz-
pressure. The landscape that encompasses the ing her body after the abortion.
station plays a fundamental role in the con- The man further complicates the discus-
flict of the story through its extensive symbol- sion by contradicting himself. For each time
ism. The train tracks form a dividing line be- he reassures the girl he wants what she wants,
tween the barren expanse of land stretching he spends at least one line identifying exactly
toward the hills on one side and the green, what he wants. This is clearly seen in the fol-
fertile farmland on the other, symbolizing the lowing conversation, “You’ve got to realize
choice faced by each of them and their differ- … that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t
ing interpretations of the dilemma of preg- want to. I’m perfectly willing to go through
nancy. Jig focuses on the landscape during with it if it means anything to you” (Heming-
the conversation, rarely making eye contact way 277). So far it sounds as if his only wish
with the man (Fletcher, 1980). is for her to do what she wants. But when she
When the girl sees the long and white hills asks if it means anything to him, he immedi-
she says “they look like white elephants”. As ately responds, “Of course it does. But I don’t
she observes the white hills she foresees elat- want anybody but you. I don’t want anyone
edly the birth of her baby which is something else. And I know it’s perfectly simple” (Hem-
unique like the uncommon white elephant. ingway 277).
The color white symbolizes the innocence Right away the girl seems to show what
and purity of her unborn child. She also ad- is going on in her mind. When the man ini-
mires the rest of the scenery. The girl stood up tially directs the conversation to the operation
and walked to the end of the station. Across, (abortion), her reaction is described, “The girl
on the other side, were the fields of grain and looked at the ground the table legs rested on
trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, be- … did not say anything” (Hemingway 275).
yond the river, were mountains. The shadow “Once they take it away, you never get it
of a cloud moved across the field of grain and back” (Hemingway 276). An obvious hint, yet
she saw the river through the trees… (Hem- she never clearly voices her hunger to have
ingway 276). The fields of grain and trees rep- the baby. She continues to desire his will over
resent fertility and fruitfulness, which sym- hers in lines such as this one, “Then I’ll do
bolize her current pregnant state and the life it. Because I don’t care about me” (Heming-
in her womb. The Ebro River also represents way 275). After a few of these vain attempts
life, as it germinates the fields. Just as the girl to convince the man to consider having the
appreciates the panorama and its connection baby, she implores him to “Would you please

Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012| 3

please please please please please please stop to the routine they seem to be in when she
talking” (Hemingway 277). These words do says “that’s all we do, isn’t it—look at things
not show the girl’s weakness and dependent and try new drinks?” (Hemingway 274). This
nature anymore but it implies something seems to be saying that she is dissatisfied with
more. She wants his man to stop pushing her their life together. She could want more from
to do the abortion. life, thinking about a possible life including a
Hemingway also uses a component of the baby. After trying the new, they order another
setting, a beaded curtain which serves as a round of beer and continue their conversation
partition in the bar, to show the conflict be- about the abortion. Jig’s name is symbolically
tween the characters. At one point during significant, as in the fact that her real name
their conversation, “the girl looked at the is never given, that “Jig” is only her lover’s
bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold pet name for her. In addition to being a dated
of two of the strings of beads” (Hemingway slang term for sexual intercourse, the word
275). It seems that she diverts her attention by jig can mean a sprightly Celtic dance or any
busying herself. Others symbolisms are the of several different kinds of tools; this implies
curtain, drinking and Jig’s name. The curtain that the American views Jig as more of a lov-
includes the man’s opinion which may be said ing object or tool than a person with feelings
to represent the man’s desire to maintain the and values to be respected (O’Brien, 1982).
status quo in their relationship and indeed, “Hills like White Elephants” suggests a re-
drinking is a part of the man’s present life- lationship between the meaning of white ele-
style. Upon entering the bar the man orders phants and the man’s attitude toward the un-
a pair of alcoholic drinks for the couple, then born child. One definition of white elephant
another. The girl later comments about how as given by Webster’s 21st Century Diction-
their relationship seems to revolve around ary: “[An] awkward, useless possession”. A
looking at things and trying new drinks. white elephant has also been defined as an
When the conversation begins, Jig asks the item that is worthless to one but priceless to
man what they should have to drink. They another, bringing to mind the saying, one
decide on beer, and he orders two “big ones”. man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In the
The hot weather, the relief sought in beer and case of Hemingway’s couple, the baby repre-
cold alcoholic drinks mirror a disagreement sents something of no apparent value to the
between the two people. They spend the time man, yet priceless to the girl. Jig’s reference to
drinking and waiting for the train to arrive. white elephants might be a characterization
Jig comments on the beaded curtains and asks of the emotional neglect occurring in the re-
what it says. The American replies “Anis del lationship. Jig’s statement that she “[doesn’t]
Toro. It’s a drink” (Hemingway 274). They or- care about [herself]”, would seem to indi-
der this because they want to try new things, cate that her lover’s inability to recognize
perhaps considering the possibility of hav- her emotional needs leaves her life, which is
ing a new relationship or a new experience in implicitly spent entirely with the American,
life, but when she tastes it she says “it tastes meaningless. Her submission to his will, in
like licorice” (Hemingway 274) which is very conceding to have the operation, reflects an
common and not exotic taste, and she adds underlying feeling of worthlessness that the
that “Everything tastes of licorice. Especially American, perhaps unconsciously, exploits
all the things you’ve waited so long for…” to gain individual happiness from her. In this
(Hemingway 274) implies that when you wait way, Jig might feel that she is the American’s
for something for a long time, once you get it, white elephant; a useless artifact that serves
it loses its appeal. Later on there is a reference only to bolster the pride of its owner.

4 |Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012

 The story also can be defined into a two- days. He is a manipulative person who has
part theme. The first is a commentary about no respect for life. He also manipulates her
the way selfishness can corrupt a relation- further by saying he doesn’t care if she does
ship. The second comments on life and it, that he would be just fine if she didn’t. He
what it means to bear life. The way the girl doesn’t really mean it. He continually pushes
sees part of the valley as brown and dry im- her when she doesn’t want to talk about it.
age symbolizes what her womb will be like He really has no respect for her. He corrupts
when the abortion is over. Later she looks out their relationship with his selfishness, which
over the fertile side of the valley and a cloud eventually causes it to fall apart.
passes over it, symbolizing the loss of fertility The girl juxtaposes the man manipulative
that can come with abortion. She has a choice nature in that she is submissive, willing to
to make between death or fertility and life. please, even though she feels otherwise. She
Hemingway even uses something as seem- is thinking about the life she carries inside of
ingly insignificant as the curtain as a symbol. her, but she wants the love of her man. She
The curtain is a barrier, much like the cervical tries to avoid the conversation, so she won’t
opening is to the womb, which the man dis- have to deal with what he is making her do.
turbs by walking through it in the end. When she does talk, they end up ordering
The topic of the conversation and the way several drinks. She seems to want to drown
both characters handle it, is the main element out her misery. One of the most character de-
that draws their characters into sharp round fining places in the story is when she says,
focus. Though the girl does not want to talk “And we could have everything and every
about the issue, they do anyway. From this, day we make it more impossible” (Heming-
the reader gets a clear picture of how each way 276). She wants a full life with her hus-
character feels, and reacts to such a brash band but because of his attitude towards the
topic. The man seems to think its no big deal life within her it is impossible. He says they
to have an abortion and is drawn as a ma- could have everything, but “No, it isn’t. And
nipulative jerk. The girl, on the other hand, is once they take it away, you can never get it
submissive, but would like to keep the child back” (Hemingway 276). She knows they
growing in her womb. Both characters are can’t have everything. They can’t have their
drawn quickly, but very effectively, by their child. She values life, but to save their rela-
viewpoints. tionship she feels she has to submit.
The man in the story is the antagonist. He is Hemingway uses the word “abortion”
the jerk who knocked up the girl, and doesn’t which is a well-known phenomenon in the
want to take responsibility. He tries to con- story. In reality, we know that a woman has to
vince her about having an abortion is the only abort because of her physical problems. Often
thing that will help their relationship. Appar- the husband or the male figure in the family
ently he has grown cold towards her since wants the abortion because he wants to spend
she found out that she is pregnant. She asks more and longer time with his wife or his fe-
him whether he still loves her again if she has male counterpart or the husband feels that he
it done. He insists that he already does love will lose his wife’s uninterrupted love and at-
her, but the reader can see only his selfish- tention if she gives birth to a child. His wife’s
ness, in only wanting her, has already begun love and attention has to be shared with the
to take its toll on the relationship. He tries baby. Because of the baby, his wife will not
to convince her that the surgery is a “simple be able to give him company as before and
operation,” all they do is “let the air in”. He will not be able to accompany him anywhere
tries to tell her that everyone is doing it these at the spur of the moment. For these reasons,

Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012| 5

the wife is compelled to resort to abortion. dominant. He insists her and puts a lot of
Mis-understandings arise when the wife lacks pressure on her to do the abortion. He is so
interest in doing so. Because of this issue of persistent and almost commands her to get
abortion, the two main characters of the story the abortion in order to push her to have no
run into conflict between themselves. choices and accept it. By saying these follow-
There is only one reason here, that is, the ing sentences, for example, “But I don’t want
man cannot assure his girl that the abortion anybody but you. I don’t want any one else”.
is no big deal and that if she goes for it things “I don’t care anything about it”. “It’s really an
will be all right as before. The girl says, “And awfully simple operation”. “You don’t have
if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be to be afraid, I know lots of people that have
like they were and you’ll love me?” (Heming- done it”. “I won’t worry about that because
way 275). The girl in the story all along is torn it’s perfectly simple” (Hemingway 277) over
by this conflict, to be or not to be. If she does and over again, he has applied his strategy to
it “it will be nice again” and the hills will look win. Of course, the girl is very tempted but
“like white elephants”. Their agony, misun- she still confused because she really wants
derstandings, anxiety, and restlessness have the baby.
been depicted so adroitly by Hemingway. The interesting words come from the girl
Generally the pressure comes from the male when she says “Would you please please
partner. please…stop talking”. It is very important
This incident may apparently be an insig- to the writer of the thesis to pay more atten-
nificant one for some, but it has changed our tion to these girl’s words. She feels powerless
perspectives on life. Obviously, the man has about the depressed situation. Maybe she is
more control and authority than the girl. The so fed up of hearing her man’s words. Truly
man is the protagonist so he takes more space she is in a weakly position. However it is not
in the story and the story is based on what he the end to the girl. She needs a little courage
wants. His goal is to convince Jig to get abort- to say that words. “Please stop talking” is not
ed while Jig has an opposed idea, which is directly stated that the winner is the man, not
not getting an abortion. Her man has insisted yet. It is a kind of self-reliance and a protest
so much that she can not express her words, not only to the man but also to her, to her sur-
opinion and feeling. The man’s power over rounding. It is the time to stop hearing to the
woman is demonstrated clearly. The girl is a man. In short, Hemingway transmitted the
weak person, someone who can not decide an message that man’s power over woman is no-
important thing in her whole life without ask- ticeable in this story. The man is the boss and
ing her husband, someone who is unable to he still leads the society. On the other hand,
use her own judgment; someone who needs Hemingway also digs out the deepest thing
her man’s approval before doing anything, in in woman heart and mind. Through the fe-
the eyes of the man. She says “And you think male character, that is the girl, he shows that
then we’ll be all right and be happy?” “And woman actually needs more space to breath
you really want to?” “And if I do it you’ll be in their life. Their relationship is not a comfort
happy and things will be like they were and thing to go on living. Sometimes man must
you’ll love me?” (Hemingway 275). All these stop talking or stop asking. At the end of the
questions seem sacrifice her desire. She tends story, the man takes the initiative to pick up
to care about his happiness than hers. She does the couple’s luggage and port it to the “other
not mean it. She gives the question in order to tracks” on the opposite side of the station,
make her man think and open his eyes. symbolizing his sense of primacy in making
On the contrary, the man is forceful and the decision to give up their child and betray-

6 |Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012

ing his insistence to Jig that the decision is en- ship presents the representation of boredom,
tirely in her hands. desperateness of life, the sense of lost happi-
ness, and the awareness of the failure of love.
The man has authority about language, mon-
CONCLUSION
ey, science, and reason (all cultural bases).
Hemingway responded to every pressure
Woman’s authority is physical in that she is
of his time, recording its progress and ag-
imaginative and resistant to the man’s cul-
ing as it aged. His life seemed to embody the
tural weapons.
promise of America with good fortune, hard
Next, namely the importance to connect
work, talent, ambition, and a little ruthless-
Hemingway’s stories to his own life. Whether
ness a man can create himself in the image
or not one believes Hemingway’s works to
of his choosing. As a young man in Paris,
be semi-autobiographical, his characters un-
Hemingway dedicated himself to his writing,
doubtedly reflect Hemingway’s experiences,
and he let nothing interfere with his goal. He
connecting life and fiction. Many parallels
created a public persona to match his prose,
have been drawn between Hemingway’s life
becoming the person he wanted to be. Like
and fiction. Most of Hemingway’s fiction is
that of other self-made Americans, however,
based on his own personal experience. When
Hemingway’s invented self was a mask that
creating the fiction, he invents from his expe-
he wore with less and less ease as he grew
rience. Hemingway led a troubled life. The
older. Despite his public image, despite his
suffering he experienced due to injury, ill-
raucous life and several wives, and despite
ness, love, multiple wars, and unsuccessful
the critics who turned on him, he left stories
relationships undoubtedly inspired much of
and novels so starkly moving that some have
his writing, and ultimately culminated with
become a permanent part of the American
his suicide in 1961. He suffered a number of
cultural inheritance.
accidents as well, both war-related and not.
It is to know one of the main issues faced
Hemingway badly injured his leg while he
especially by women in Hemingway’s stories.
was as an ambulance driver, suffered a car
It is Hemingway’s own intention to explore
crash, plane crashes and a variety of serious
the theme which is based on his life experi-
health problems throughout his life.
ences. This theme is one of the general issues
Perpetually afflicted by illness, Hemingway
in ordinarily human life. The theme reflects
used writing and his numerous relationships
Hemingway’s approach to life in general. His
to try to remedy his ailments. Writing, illness,
literature was his own interests in hunting,
and love were intimately connected in Hem-
love, military services, adventure, and so on.
ingway’s life and his literature. Love, body,
Hemingway’s talent lies in deep psychologi-
country, and mind are all at least somewhat
cal insight into human nature. Moreover, the
infected. In his short stories, Hemingway de-
way Hemingway portrayed characters in the
picts the injured nature of humankind. No one
stories are dynamic, deep, and open ended.
is spared pain or death. Living, for Heming-
The theme of relationships cover the very
way’s characters, is a struggle to accept and
basic matter in human life, for instance, man-
survive. Hemingway suggests that, in term
woman relationship in marriage, son-mother
of the human condition, Hemingway chooses
relationship, daughter-mother relationship,
risk in his own life and literature, opting for
and son-father relationship. It describes the
life, pain, and love rather than emptiness. Re-
pressure in the human relationship and al-
fer to his stories, a Hemingway hero would
ways a failed relationship or the relationship
take notice of this ill fate and make the best of
finally ends in abandonment. The relation-
it. The motive behind his heroic figure is not

Journal on English as a Foreign Language, Volume 2, Number 2, September 2012| 7

glory, or fortune, or the justice, or the need the moral emptiness of the universe, an emp-
for experience. They are inspired neither by tiness that they feel compelled to fill by their
vanity or ambition nor a desire to better the own special efforts.
world. Instead, their behavior is a reaction to

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