Feminism In Hemingway

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RUNNING HEAD: Feminism in Hemingway, an Analysis of “Hills like White Elephants” Feminism in Hemingway Carrie Schrad South Univeristy In Ernest Hemingway’s, “Hills like White Elephants”, there is a young girl named Jig struggling with a decision to have an abortion. It seems her American boyfriend is the one pushing for the procedure in an attempt to retain the relationship they have instead of expanding on it. “The girl did not say anything. “I’ll go with you and I’ll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural.” “Then what will we do afterward?” “We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before.” “What makes you think so?” (Hemingway, 2011, para 45) Though it is hard to imagine now, when Hemingway published this story in 1927, women were just beginning to crawl out of the dark ages. The Women’s Suffrage Movement culminated in 1920 with the signing of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which gave women the right to vote. Shortly after that, since winning the vote, women were running and being elected to public office and also becoming more educated. Prior to this, most women worked inside the home, raising children and being submissive to their husbands. Early on in Hemingway’s story we can see how Jig is submissive to her American boyfriend. “’What should we drink?” the girl asked. She had taken off her hat and put it on the table. “It’s pretty hot,” the man said. “Let’s drink beer.’” (Hemingway, 2011, para 4) This is a good example of how Jig is being submissive to her boyfriend, instead of saying what she wants to drink; she makes a point to ask him what they shall drink. After this, he orders for her. He does this one other time in the story, suggesting there is a pattern of him making all of the decisions and her remaining passive in her behavior. The controlling manner displayed by the male
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