Black Boy Rhetorical Analysis

468 Words2 Pages
Mr. Kolody 4 AP Language 3 October 2012 Hills like White Elephants Hemingway’s Hills like White Elephants is a short story of a couple’s disagreement over whether to get an abortion or not. The disagreement over the abortion exposes the assertive ways of the man and his determined decision to abort the baby. As the title suggests the man obviously views the unborn baby as a burden, or as a white elephant. Throughout Hills like White Elephants the man has a controlling and narcissistic attitude as he attempts to manipulate the girl on agreeing to an abortion. Hemingway implements syntax and diction to reveal how the man manipulates his girlfriend and ultimately pressures her into having an abortion. The man uses syntax, short and simple sentences, to make it seem like he is confident and that what he says is irrefutable. His confidence makes his arguments seem accurate and it helps establish him as the leader in the relationship. He says, “We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before.” These lines are both short and even though he is making deceptive promises they sound confident and honest. Hemingway creates an allusion of honesty and trustworthiness in the man by not being too wordy or indirect. The certainty of the man is reflected in the definitiveness of the sentences. The decisive way he states his opinion, along with his diction, help him to show the aftereffects of the abortion in the way he wants. He is able to predict the outcome of the operation to her by using vague words such as “fine”. By using the word fine he is only surfacing into the topic at hand and he is not even discussing the almost certain emotional and physical pain she would endure. He also says, “But I know it’s perfectly simple.” Again he is using the word “simple” to treat her like a paranoid adolescent. The repetition of the mocking voice along with the simple sentence helps
Open Document