Hills Like White Elephants (Ernest Hemingway) is a short story told entirely in dialogue. It is about a conversation between two lovers in a bar waiting for a train. The woman started to talk about a hill in the distanced that she claims looks like a white elephant, and that sparks an argument between the couple. Their conversation got a lot tense from there on. Write a 200-word argument that responds to these questions: Does she stay in her relationship with the man? I think the thought of staying or leaving is difficult because she's in love with him. She wants to be happy and staying with him was her way of staying happy. Even though she tries to change the conversation about her having an abortion, with talking about the writing on the wall and the hills she claims looks like white elephants, the man still kept presuming her that having an abortion was the best thing to do. He convinces her that they would be so happy if she did the operation. He also told that it was an easy one, and that he would marry her either way but still emphasize on the fact of getting rid of the pregnancy. So I think she does stay in that relationship because she has been convinced that she would be happier with him, and that their happiness was all that matter. Write a 200-word narrative that illustrates a response to this question: When have you made a important choice to stay in a relationship or leave a relationship -- OR -- stay or leave a difficult situation? I encourage you to write a scene that shows the moment. Consider using dialogue.
7 Comments
Maria Martin
2/24/2018 06:09:18 am
I agree that the woman will end up staying with the man because of how much she loves him, however doesn't it make you curious that she kept changing the subject? If she was truly fine with their decision on the abortion, she wouldn't have such a difficult time talking about it, right ?
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Kadiatu Sillah
3/9/2018 08:11:53 am
I understand your point, and I can tell that she want to keep the pregnancy, but she also seems to want to be with this man even though that means she have to give up everything.
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After reading your argument and rethinking our class discussion about this American, what if it wasn't up to just the girl to stay in the relationship? Since he was so eager to slide his way out this commitment (a baby), wouldn't it make sense that he'd leave her either way? I came up with that idea from his tone in the story and the way you pointed out that he'd still love her especially if she got the abortion. It sounds like he'd saying whatever it took to make her comply but when it's all said and done he'd be quick to find an escape from the girl too.
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Kadiatu Sillah
3/9/2018 08:17:55 am
I agree, you can clearly tell that he will leave her either way, but he is convince that this girl is in love with him, so by lying and giving her false hope was his way of getting her to go with what he thinks is the best solution for their relationship.
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Allison Riddle
3/2/2018 04:08:03 pm
When they were talking in the beginning of the story the boy was saying how people have done this before, and how happy they were after the procedure. Does he not notice that this a human being? What’s so easy about giving up a baby? It seems like a sticky situation.
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Kadiatu Sillah
3/9/2018 08:18:58 am
It totally does seem like a sticky situation.
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