Define observation and inference. After careful reading of Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, it is very clear what it’s purpose is. The story takes place in the Ebro River valley of Spain, where an American man and his female companion Jig are waiting for a train and having drinks discussing “doing it”. Obviously, by “doing it”, they’re referring to whether or not they should have an abortion. At the end of the story, we can only assume that they decide to go through with the abortion, when Jig tells the American male “I don’t care about me.” The man goes and haves a drink by himself and return to his companion.
In line two, the narrator states that she is an elephant and a ponderous house. This line expresses how the narrator feels about her pregnant body and like the second line, a comical undertone underlays the third line, "A melon walking around on its skinny tendrils", puts a humorous image in one's mind. When looking at a pregnant woman, it is ways to see the resemblance. The narrator looks back in the fourth line, surveys her previous thoughts and summarized them. The red fruit in line four returns the idea of a melon.
Hope B. Torres Prof. Thomas Bland English 151 September 23, 2014 Shooting an Elephant vs. Mexicans Deserve More Than La Mordida Shooting an Elephant and Mexicans Deserve More Than La Mordida are two essay that are being written to argue and make a point about important topics, the British Imperialists and “La Mordida” in Mexico. They are telling a story in which they both had to make decisions in being a part of something that, really, wasn't a good thing; shooting an elephant or giving the police money - they both caved into peer pressure. Both writers persuade us by using three types of appeals; ethos, pathos and logos. Both authors start off by introducing their backgrounds, this helps us with an idea of what the essay will be about. By using this way of introduction we are able to know the character and therefore, we are able to trust them and know that they are accredited.
I'll give you one hint: unicorn slumber parties!!! You see, in medieval times, a virginal maiden would sit alone in the woods until a unicorn, enchanted by her purity, approached and laid its head in her lap. At which point, the waiting hunters would reveal themselves, and presto—unicorn kebabs. Of course, nowadays most unicorn meat comes from factory farms, which means wild unicorns can spend their free time teaching virtuous girls how to wear makeup without looking cheap. The only reason abstinence promoters don't tell everyone about this is because then we'd run out of unicorns.
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.
The short descriptions of setting may not seem very detailed but combined with dialogues they tell us the true meaning of this three and a half page story. There is a couple waiting for the train. The American and his young girlfriend nicknamed Jig are sitting at a table in the shade, waiting for the train, talking and drinking beer. The whole story centres on a conversation over whether the girl should undergo an abortion or not. Although Hemingway never uses the words “abortion“ or “baby“, we can clearly tell that is all the characters are talking about.
“Hills Like White Elephants” is from a collection of short stories “Men Without Women” by Ernest Hemmingway. It was first published in 1927. The story is about a couple waiting for a train at the train station. The male character is referred as “the American” and his female companion as “the girl” and later “Jig”. The girl is pregnant and the man is trying to insist in a very artful way that she must go for an abortion.
Thesis: • Hemingway uses numerous symbols, such as white elephants, the hills, the valley, how simple the operation is, the luggage, and time, in order to demonstrate the huge commitment Jig and the Man must make about the “operation”/abortion. Intro: include the title, and the author • The story, Hills Like White Elephants, describes an experience between a man and a girl named Jig, in the valley of Ebro at a train station. While waiting for the train, the man and Jig discuss numerous things, what should they drink, what the hills look like, but the most important topic they discuss is about a certain “operation”. Hemingway, the author of the story, uses numerous symbols in the story to help the reader better understand the huge dilemma this “operation” will or may cause to both the man and Jig. Section 1: • Topic Sentence: o After only reading the title and the first paragraph, the idea that both the hills and white elephants appear to be symbolizing a certain choice involving something precious yet burdensome.
The girlfriend says that the hills in the distance look like white elephants, which the man says that he has not seen one. They order a type of liquor called Anis del Toro and start to argue about the taste of it. The Man scolds his girlfriend about it and tells her to enjoy herself. The girlfriend says to the man that she’s trying to have some fun and then takes away her opinion of the hills looking like white elephants. They soon order another round of beers, and the man comments that he wants her to have an operation, but he never says what kind of operation he wants her to have.
Earnest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” is a story of a verbal battle and contest of wills between two characters. The reader is asked to decipher much of the information in the story through the use of symbolism and imagery. The reader must also come to a conclusion as to how the character chooses in the end. Beginning with the title “Hills like White Elephants” and through further description of the terrain surrounding the couple, the reader can sense the internal struggle between the two characters over the issue of whether Jig will agree to have an abortion. The story is set in a bar beside a train station.