20 points.
(My suggestion is to write your response in a Word document, then cut/paste it into a post).
1. How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story? (For more on ambiguity, see below)
2. How does Hemingway's syntax affect the meaning of the story?
3. What is the tone of the story, and how does the dialogue impact the tone? (For more on tone, click here)
UPDATE: As I read the posts you're writing, I'm realizing that some of you are not sure if the characters are talking about abortion. It's widely agreed upon that they ARE talking about abortion. So let's move forward with that assumption.
AMBIGUITY: In common conversation, ambiguity is a negative term applied to a vague or equivocal expression when precision would be more useful. Sometimes, however, intentional ambiguity in literature can be a powerful device, leaving something undetermined in order to open up multiple possible meanings. When we refer to literary ambiguity, we refer to any wording, action, or symbol that can be read in divergent ways. As William Empson put it, ambiguity is "any verbal nuance, however slight, which gives room for alternative reactions to the same piece of language" (qtd. in Deutsch 11). (source: Dr. L. Kip Wheeler 1998-2012. )
Well, looks like I’m first… I’m going to respond to the first prompt.
ReplyDeleteThe ambiguity in “Hills Like White Elephants” adds to the meaning of the story by inducing the reader to contemplate what is going on between the two characters. The third-person limited perspective certainly adds to this: we cannot know what the characters are thinking; only interpret what they are saying. One case of ambiguity is that the man is not given a name, but is given a nationality, while the girl is given a name, but no nationality. There is also ambiguity of what language they are speaking, because while the story is written in English, the girl shows signs that she doesn’t understand the woman at the bar, when she says, “’What did she say?’” (Hemingway 174). This adds to the ambiguity of the people and suggests that they may have met abroad. The setting certainly suggests so; the man may have been touring Europe and met the girl on the way. The man’s namelessness may mean that he is the lesser of the two characters in the story: the dilemma is the girl’s, not the man’s, which brings me to the… elephant in the room (pun intended). There is much mention of “’a simple operation’” (Hemingway 172), but Hemingway never states exactly what the operation is. The rest of their conversation is rather cryptic and doesn’t offer much insight into what it could be: “’They just let the air in and it’s all perfectly natural” (Hemingway 172). This ambiguity allows the reader to imagine what the operation will be, but more to the point, it draws attention to it while drawing attention away from it. The subject of the story is not the operation, but rather what the two characters think about it and their internal and external conflict regarding it. The reader pays more attention to what the characters are saying and notices the repetition. Hemingway is writing a story of how people become very apprehensive in the face of a difficult decision, and how some may want to talk it over while others want time to themselves to think about it alone, and when talking about such a difficult decision, people have to go over it again and again because they fear they may make the wrong choice, hence the repetition. In conclusion, the ambiguity in the story helps to draw attention to its true meaning while allowing the reader to project his or her meaning onto it.
Did I write too much?
DeleteI thought that your answer was very well written. It made me realize and understand more about what was occurring in the story. But I would also like to add that besides people making difficult decisions, the decisions being made during this part of the book is how TWO people (in a relationship most likely) make difficult decisions together
DeleteNo, you wrote perfectly well, not too much or too little. Your explanation, like Denise said, is thoroughly well-written. Now I'm wondering how I should write my paragraph when yours is so good!
DeleteIn response to Q3: “What is the tone of the story, and how does the dialogue impact the tone?”
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “Hills Like White Elephants,” Hemingway displays apprehension through Jig’s anxiety that is evident in the dialogue throughout the story. The apprehensive tone is very obvious through Jig because she heavily relies on the American man’s opinion. As Jig and the American man have a beer together, the man tries to convince her to make a decision on something that she is very skeptical about (as readers, it is not made clear what the subject of dispute is about). During their conversation, Jig always asks the man questions like, “And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?” and, “But if I do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you’ll like it?” (Hemingway 173). Asking questions like these would offer Jig reassurance that everything will be “okay” if she listens to him and that it would have a positive outcome. Her neediness tells the reader that she is afraid to make decisions on her own. Repetition in the dialogue also affects the tone. When the American man tries to convince Jig that, “We can have everything,” Jig repeatedly replies with, “No, we can’t” (Hemingway 173). This suggests that she is trying to convince herself that the man is not completely right. Shortly after, Jig says to the man, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemingway 174). This line of dialogue insists that the topic of their discussion made her extremely anxious because of Jig’s repeated use of “please.” Hemingway emphasizes a lot of Jig’s feelings by using a variety of dialogue. The dialogue used by Hemingway impacts the tone as a whole because it reflects the nature of the characters and also gives readers insight on the characters’ direct feelings and individuality.
-Anjanette J.
I am answering the first prompt.
ReplyDeleteHemingway’s use of ambiguity in “Hills Like White Elephants” adds to the narrative’s meaning by allowing the readers to have their own understanding of the story. The author never states what the “operation” the two characters are talking about actually is. Thus, the readers are allowed to draw their own interpretations using the information that Hemingway has given to them. With this tactic, the story has more meaning because there is no right answer for what Jig and the American plan to do. Each reader will apply their own history and knowledge to the story, which will create varied responses because each person will take away something different. Even in our own class, we had some people who thought the discussion is about abortion while others thought that the two were planning a robbery. For example, when the woman takes in her surroundings, she contemplates that a successful operation would allow them to “have all this…and we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible” (Hemingway 173). This situation is highly ambiguous because there can be so many different interpretations drawn from it. The woman could be referring to the riches that they would gain from a successful robbery, and how, with each passing day, the plan would be harder to execute. However, others may conclude that the woman is actually referring to the freedom that would be obtained if she had an abortion, and how also, with each passing day, the baby comes closer to birth. The author’s use of the word “operation” also creates a sense of ambiguity because the term can be defined as a surgical procedure, such as an abortion, or an illegal business, such as a theft. Thus, Hemingway’s diction also plays a major role in adding to the story’s meaning. Another example of ambiguity is when couple considers doing the operation, the woman asks, “But if I do it, then it will be nice again…If I do it you won’t ever worry” (Hemingway 173). We are unsure if the couple’s past experiences have left them an unpleasant life that can be fixed with this decision or if it is just to end any tension between the two that formed from having to decide whether or not to do the operation. Thus, the vagueness of operation and the problems the couple improves the story by letting the reader decide what the conflict is in “Hills Like White Elephants”. The unclear situations in the story enhances the narrative’s meaning by hiding what the conversation is really about and allowing the readers to take away their own interpretations of the story.
2. How does Hemingway's syntax affect the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway uses syntax in “Hills Like White Elephants” to enhance the meaning of each character’s dialogue. Hemingway tells most of the story of the American man and Jig through dialogue and includes only brief descriptions of the setting and the actions of the characters. The first sentence of the chapter itself, “The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white” (Hemingway 171), was the only sentence dedicated to the hills although Jig paid much attention to them. However, the reason that the hills appeared significant was because Jig was fascinated by them and it causes the reader to wonder why Jig took an interest to them. Hemingway gives the readers the job to create the setting themselves through the hints that the characters provide when they make seemingly unimportant observations. The novel is written in a third-person limited point of view so the readers do not really know the personal thoughts and feelings of the characters. The characters speak in short and brief sentences that convey that they may be arguing, irritated, or confused. People usually speak longer and in detail when they are happy, engaged in the conversation, or feel passionate about a certain idea. The American man and Jig bring up a very short but interesting conversation where Jig says “No, we can’t. It isn’t ours any more” and the American man replies with “It’s ours” (Hemingway 173). They did not give precise explanations nor did they ever mention that they are in a disagreement, but the dialogue provides the readers with clues to what is occurring in the scene. The answers are not merely given away to the reader and it allows them to piece together the story on their own. Hemingway does not make the reader rely on the words of the narrator but actually forces the reader to notice the significance of sentence structure in the dialogue of the characters.
I am going to respond to the first prompt on “How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?”
ReplyDeleteAs I read “Hill’s like White Elephants”, Hemmingway’s use of ambiguity gives the story many allusion and we misunderstand because of these vague sentences that are given to us. Since it is taken in the third person limited- point of view, we do not know the true concept of the story or what each character are talking about. We can only observe and determine what the essence of “Hill’s like White Elephants” is and come up with various theories of what Jig or the American Man are talking about. Hemmingway added more meaning into this story, no doubt about it, there has to be at least more than one connotation within the story because each character says something that gives away some ideas that we can interoperate/think about. In class, some classmates gave us some ideas that maybe they stole something or maybe she wants to have an abortion but is uncertain about the idea. For example,”’ It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’”(Hemmingway 172) This context demonstrates ambiguity because it gives us readers some interpretation of what the nameless American man is talking about. Does she have health problems? Maybe she wants to change her appearance? Abortion? Even though the nameless man said it is a “simple operation” what does Jig need it for? Why was it so important for them to talk about it various times while they’re on their supposed “trip” in Europe? This gives us some ideas of what Hemmingway is trying to portray but because of his use of syntax, it’s difficult to get an idea of what the cause of this strange conversation is between with the nameless American man and Jig, a girl with no nationality stated whatsoever. Even with his use of syntax, we the readers have some ideas of what’s happening. Every sentence of their conversation draws our attention, wanting to seek for more information for what they’re talking about. For example,” ‘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.’” (Hemmingway 172) We can determine that Jig and the American man are going to a certain place to do something but as the conversation goes on, they have doubts and fears of what will happen after this “operation”. Ambiguity plays a main role in “Hill’s like White Elephants”, giving us readers clues/hints within various sentences and coming up with ideas of where this conversation was going.
I apologize for my poor spelling errors. "Hills" not "Hill's".
DeleteAgain apologize for my poor spelling errors. "Hemingway" not "Hemmingway"
DeleteQuestion 1: How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteIn "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway ambiguity adds to the meaning of the text, allowing readers to contemplate and interpret the significance of each characters’ statements and draw conclusions on the overall meaning of the story. Hemingway is vague when he refers to the male character as “the American man” and the female character as “the girl” or “Jig”; leaving the readers with little insight on the main characters background. The ambiguity in the story is a reoccurring theme, showing up in the characters personality, background, relationship and especially in their conversation; “Well,” the man said, “if you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to.” (Hemingway) The ambiguity in the story thus far allows the readers to ponder the situation, and consider the possibility of the different operations that might fit the characters obscure description. The fact that the man and Jig are at a bar situated near a train station, with two heavy bags intensifies the ambiguity in the story, compelling the readers to look deeper in the text to find possible answers to the many unanswered questions . The uncertainty the girl feels is portrayed through her dialogue, and the uneasy setting only increases the ambiguousness of the novel. When the girl states, “There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine,” the tone indicates that it is actually quite the contrary, she doesn’t feel fine, she feels uncertain and a bit fearful. The ambiguousness of the story contributes greatly to the overall meaning, setting the stage for a brief enigmatic conversation between two people who are in an apprehensive situation. This enthralls the readers into the characters reality and creates an air of anticipation toward the significance of the girl’s overall life altering decision.
Responding to Q1
ReplyDeleteDoes it not give a reader a sense of satisfaction when he/she assembles a puzzle without any help? This is what Hemingway strived for when writing this piece. Ambiguity forces the reader to assemble the puzzle without any help from the author so as to give the story as many perspectives as possible from the audience. There are many parts in the enigmatic story of “Hills Like White Elephants” where many readers will have different thoughts on what is being said or what is taking place. An example of this is when the American says, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig” (Hemingway 172). One reader might suggest that Jig is getting an operation while another might purpose the idea of Jig and the American performing a secret military operation that should be “awfully simple.” All these different conceptions establish the underlying meaning of the piece. That meaning being that the vague short story has as many meanings as the readers are able to spawn. Hemingway’s intentional meaning of the short story is for the piece to have the readers produce the meaning instead of him. Ambiguity is a concept that reoccurs often in this short story and Hemingway uses it in a perfect style that allows the readers the opportunity to construct the meaning of the piece without the author forcing his/her intentional meaning on the reader.
you suggestion of a Military connection is very interesting. I am also thinking that the "operation" is actually an act of doing something else, and not literally an operation.
Delete--Shahrier Hussain--
I am going to try and respond to the first question.
ReplyDeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, the way Hemingway uses ambiguity allows each reader to develop their own story. As the American man speaks to Jig, the man says, “‘We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before’” (Hemingway 172). Nowhere in the story does it elaborate on what happened “before.” This allows the reader to try and create a story that may or may not be what Hemingway was trying to pass when he was writing the story.This adds more meaning to the story because, in a way, it partially becomes the reader's story as well. The ambiguity Hemingway uses makes the reader think and really be involved in creating the idea of what they believed Hemingway was trying to portray.
How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteThe purpose of ambiguity in Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway is to help readers develop their own meaning as to what is going on and also to draw attention to other factors of the work. Throughout the whole story, Hemingway gives very little clues, only choosing to drop hints through the dialogue between the American and the girl. There is no real specification in what the American and Jig are speaking about, “‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,” the man said. “It’s not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 172). Most readers tend to take what they know and almost place themselves into the story. If the operation were to be described as abortion, readers would most likely become biased since abortion is a very controversial topic. By leaving a blank slate, Hemingway is forcing readers to look at the big picture and think deeper into the text, not just at the operation in general. Ambiguity is again seen in diction. There is no real description to the tone of voice the characters are using while speaking, “‘I feel fine,’ she said. “There is nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.’” (Hemingway 174). Nowhere is it written that Jig is being sarcastic or feels exasperated that the man keeps pestering her. Maybe she is being truthful. There is no definite answer and that is the point. The vagueness of the dialogue is to highlight not the topic or the spoken words but the characters’ unspoken emotions behind them. By being ambiguous, Hemingway is pointing readers in directions that don’t just concern the plot. Therefore, the use of ambiguity is to give readers their own meaning to the story and to shed light on other literary devices that can sometimes be ignored.
Correction: "Hills like White Elephants"
DeleteI'm responding to the first prompt. Hopefully, I won't repeat others' ideas and words as much D:
ReplyDeleteThe ambiguity in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway adds meaning to the story by letting the reader use their imagination to try interpreting what is really happening between the two main characters. Hemingway does not explain what the “awfully simple operation” (Hemingway 172) is, resulting in keeping the reader’s attention which influences them to keep an eye on the details of the obscure not-yet-accomplished mission. Jig and the American are the two main characters’ names in the story, with no insight on how they look or their background whatsoever. The guy has a nationality while the girl has no name, and this too, allows the reader to imagine due to lack of insight. The dialogue repeats with their indecisiveness of whether or not Jig will do this ‘operation’ for sure, repeating the sentences of “I don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to” (Hemingway 173) and “it’s perfectly simple” (Hemingway 174). The American repeats indirectly that he does not want Jig to go with the ‘operation’ if she might have regrets later on – but he does say directly that he only wants her to do this because she wants to, which could mean that he has enough feelings for her to care about her so much. Hemingway’s ambiguity comes in handy in their conversation, emphasizing their worries and their doubts, making the reader wonder where their talk will go. It could be something totally strange, very simple, or extremely shocking. Hemingway’s use of syntax is significant too, because his choice of words are simple and his sentences are not very long, resulting in a lack of details of the main characters. The only clue we have to what the operation is about is when the American says “they just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural” (Hemingway 172), and although the syntax is lacking, we have a small detail of what their conversation could lead to. Hemingway is leading a story of two people who are facing an important decision; hence the repetition of making sure Jig was positive she will go through with her decision and making sure it won’t be her downfall, and how some people may be able to decide what they want right away while others may need time to think it over. Overall, Hemingway’s ambiguity impacts the readers’ understanding of the story by allowing them to construe their own meaning of the story with their imagination.
Hi, I shall do the first prompt, “How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?”
ReplyDelete“Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, has a simple easy to follow skit, but the moral, or the meaning, of this story is a tangle mess of assumptions. The ambiguity of this story conveys many deferent interpretation of what might actually be happening in this story. All we really know is that there is “…the American [man] and the girl…” (Hemingway 171) and the girl is waiting for an operation “to let the air in” (Hemingway 172). Many in class jumped at the idea of abortion, but I believe that their idea was misconstrued. The man and the girl conveyed that they have “known lots of people that have done it” (Hemingway 172). This is important because few people have abortions, and fewer still tell people about it. The ambiguity adds eccentricity to the deeper meaning as well as imagination and oxymoron. Although some might argue that the meaning lies within the text, I believe that Hemingway made his story very ambiguous so the reader can be creative and erect meanings that the reader finds the most appealing.
--Shahrier Hussain--
PS:
Can some of you tell me what you think? My way of seeing it is that the story doesn’t have anything to do with an abortion. It might be an operation of the body, or a machine of some sorts, or maybe it’s not an operation at all, but just the act of doing something. Thank you in advance to all who replies.
I said this in my response also, but I believe it's abortion based on the title of the short story. A "white elephant" gift is a gift that you wouldn't want, and the hill could be referencing a pregnant woman's belly. Jig saying that the hills look like white elephants is basically saying that being pregnant is something she doesn't want, overall leading to her abortion (or an argument about abortion).
DeleteBut that's just what I think. ._.
1. How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteHemingway’s use of ambiguity induces many interpretations of the meaning of “Hills Like White Elephants.” By not specifying what the hills mean to Jig or clearly stating why she and the American man were in the Ebro valley in the first place, readers are forced to come up with their own ideas using the “clues” embedded throughout the text. Take, for instance, when Jig says, “They [the hills] don’t really look like white elephants” (Hemingway). This is significant because she said earlier that the hills DID look like white elephants. No one really knows exactly why she changed her mind. It could be insignificant, but that is the point. No one knows for sure. It could be the effects of the Anis del Toro and the beer, since she only changes her mind after she drinks. On the other hand, her change of opinion may be reflecting her indecisiveness and grave efforts to try to coax a satisfying response from the man. To support this idea, the next thing the man says is, “Should we have another drink”, which does not sound like he cares much about her thoughts on the hills. Ambiguity helps readers think deeper about the reasons behind all the dialogue and action.
How does the ambiguity add meaning to the story?
ReplyDeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway uses ambiguity to help the reader figure out what is actually happening between the two characters. It’s obvious that the American man and the girl named “Jig” have conflicting opinions on “an awfully simple operation” (Hemingway 172). This is shown by Jig’s repetition of saying “…I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 173) and the man’s repetition of responding “…I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to” (Hemingway 172). Still, the readers have no idea what the characters are talking about. However, since Hemingway uses short sentences as a part of his syntax, it hints to what the “operation” is. First, the man says “It’s not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 172), implying that the operation is not affecting a body part that is important. Second, Jig claims she can’t have the world because “it isn’t ours anymore” (Hemingway 173), proving that she believes it affects her whole life. Next, the title “Hills Like White Elephants” has meaning as well. The “hills” Jig talks about “…look like white elephants” (Hemingway 171). “White Elephant” is a game played around the holidays where people exchange gifts that they do not want. “Hills” resemble a pregnant woman’s stomach. This leads to the conclusion of Jig saying that “the hills look like white elephants” means that she believes pregnancy is a gift that she does not wish to have. This makes “abortion” the topic of Jig and the American man’s argument. All in all, though Hemingway’s writing is very ambiguous, it is possible to figure out the overall meaning to the story.
I will be responding to the second prompt: “How does Hemingway’s syntax affect the meaning of the story?”
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway’s use of syntax affects the meaning of the story, “Hills Like White Elephants” by making complex issues of life into simple, casual matters. It is hinted throughout the story that the American man and a girl named Jig, are discussing about an “operation”, like the American man saying, “I know we will. You don’t have to be afraid. I’ve known lots of people that have done it” (Hemingway 172). The syntax of this statement helps determine the operation to most likely be abortion by indirectly aiming the question at Jig, a troubled female. Abortion has been touted as a very uncomfortable subject to talk about just because of unsettling moral issues conflicting with social status. Hemingway has taken this subject and used his distinctive syntax to turn the heavy and dreary conversation of abortion into a typical conversation at a bar during happy hour. Examples of this can be seen throughout the short story, like when the American man explains, “They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural” (Hemingway 172). Hemingway uses syntax to reword the procedures involving the operation, which, are often extremely graphic, into an ambiguous statement that only vaguely hints to any operation. In general, Hemingway uses syntax to simplify complex subjects so that it seems like a typical conversation between two people, but with a deeply hidden but very significant meaning. Hemingway’s syntax also helps with the setting by placing a peculiar interest on “hills that look like elephants,” which is significant because it helps readers think deeply on why Hemingway would add such an awkward topic into a story that vaguely relates to an issue of modern life. The majority of the short story is simple sentences, which helps develop the meaning of the story by keeping readers interested to find out why Hemingway wrote this story and in such fashion.
I’m going to be answering the first prompt, “How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?”
ReplyDeleteHemingway incorporates ambiguity to draw attention towards the two main characters, or protagonists, in order for the readers to develop creative and logical ideas about the plot and the setting of the story. The mystery of the American man’s name and Jig’s race serves as a purpose for the readers to understand the setting and the background. The difference in languages between Jig, the American, and the bar waitress proves that Jig and the American are foreigners. The use of ambiguity is also involved when the American describes ‘the operation’ to Jig as he mentioned, “‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all’” (Hemingway 172). The word ‘operation’ is a clue for readers to have a vague idea of the relationship between Jig and the American. As our class stated, we assume this ‘operation’ relates to abortion since surgery is the first idea that people would think of from hearing the word ‘operation’. Both protagonists display a strong bond as a couple, which contributes to why Jig would go through an ‘easy’ operation after being persuaded by the American. The main use of ambiguity is related to the title of the story when Jig describes the hills and mountains as she stated, “I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasn’t that bright?” (Hemingway 172). A white elephant usually means to possess a valuable item that is costly and is hard to keep and maintain, similar to an actual white elephant. In this case, Jig is very assertive towards the American when she repeatedly mentions how the mountains and the hills look like white elephants. This repetition proves that the American might represent the white elephant because he is very precious to Jig, but she also views him as a very troublesome person who is difficult to deal with, especially when he continues to question about ‘the operation’. The American’s continuous questioning towards Jig about the abortion and her assertive responses is related to theme of whether direct confrontation or neglect can really solve problems. Direct answers may lead to unhappy responses and continuous neglect may mislead a person’s interpretation which causes more confusion. Jig’s quick responses confuse the American, making him doubt her decision, when she is actually hiding her true feelings in order not to lose him.
Hello all, good evening. This is Chris by the way.
ReplyDeleteAnswering question 3 since it needs some love.
“Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway conveys a light-hearted casual tone while containing an underlying serious undertone. Hemingway does this by the use of casual dialogue between the American man and Jig. The dialogue these two characters partake in is written in short simple sentences, like casual conversation. The rapid exchange of dialogue between the two characters makes it seem like a normal conversation a couple is having while relaxing over a beer. The underlying serious mood mentioned earlier, is because of Jig constantly saying things along the lines of “I don’t care about me” (Hemingway 173). Which express a lack of self-worth she finds in herself. The two are talking about abortion, a highly controversial topic involving human life, and Jig’s lack of input into the conversation other than “I’ll do it so things will be nice again” (Hemingway 173) clearly exemplifies a lack of care for herself and the subject of abortion. As it stands, she is currently harboring a zygote, and she is casually agreeing to killing it. She is not talking about any risks, she is not talking about compromising and keeping the zygote, she is just simply agreeing to do the abortion. This lack of real interest on the subject tells hints of something going on underneath her head, something serious. There has to be a reason that she is not taking this seriously, and the casual dialogue throughout the story highlights this because of how she is not giving any colorful responses about her opinion on the matter.She simply is giving short and fast replies to the American man. In conclusion, Hemingway’s use of short and rapid dialogue expresses the light-hearted and casual tone, while the serious topic of abortion hints of the serious undertone.
I agree with your post for the most part, but I do think Jig tries to compromise about keeping the zygote. She states, "They're lovely hills... They don't really lok like white elephants" (Hemingway 172). Referring back to my own post, this proves that Jig wants to keep the zygote because she's pretty much saying "It's nice to be pregnant. Maybe I do want to keep this 'gift.'" After this,the American man insists that it's just an operation, and it makes Jig reconsider abortion all over again.
DeleteOther than that,I like how you saw the reading as having two different tones as opposed to one overall tone.
This is in response to the second prompt: "How does Hemingway's syntax affect the meaning of the story?"
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway’s use of syntax in “Hills Like White Elephants” reinforces lines to aid the reader in discovering the meaning of the story. The majority of this short story is composed of brief sentences that form a dialogue. The way in which Hemingway establishes a pattern by repeating lines convey the thoughts of each character, hinting at the true meaning. He uses lines such as “like white elephants” (Hemingway 173) and “it’s perfectly simple” (Hemingway 172) repetitively to describe the purpose of this story. In this sense, brevity works in favor of the reader by easily allowing the line to be kept in mind to develop a meaning. Additionally, the sentence structure contributes to the meaning. For example, the order of clauses in the line “And once they take it away, you never get it back” (Hemingway 173) puts more of an emphasis on “it” and causes the reader to think of what Hemingway is referring to, rather than having the clauses switched. Overall, despite Hemingway’s challenging use of ambiguity, his syntax pushes readers to decipher his message.
How does ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteThe ambiguity in “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemmingway is evident all throughout the text by the way the author does not include adverbs in the conversations the two characters have and the use of repetition. This is an immediate sign that we can interpret why the characters repeat the same words over and over again and how the conversations go; it could be angry, calm, upsetting, etc. When Jig and the American talk about having the operation for Jig’s abortion, the American says, “If you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to…” (Hemmingway 172) and that “… it’s the best thing to do” (Hemmingway 173). The American wants to assure Jig that he does not want to pressure her to do anything she does not want to do. He wants what he thinks is best for the both of them. As for Jig, she asks the American, “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” (Hemmingway 174). I interpret this as Jig wanting to be alone to think about whether to have the operation. She would never come to a final decision if the American were to continue trying to put his input about the abortion, so she needs to collect her own thoughts at her own pace, because every time the American says something, she just asks more and more questions that confuse herself. The ambiguity that Hemmingway includes was on purpose to have the readers use their imagination to determine why and how all these events occurred – to use what they know as a tool to figure out the unclear statements that were being read, which brings out millions of interpretations and possibilities. Why does one character have a name and the other does not? Especially a name like “Jig”? Is there significance here? What is going to happen after the operation, if they do follow through with it? All these questions come up, but maybe that was Hemmingway’s goal – to get the readers to use the clues that he leaves behind to piece together the ambiguity of the story.
Question 2: How does Hemingway’s syntax affect the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteHemingway’s use of syntax throughout “Hills Like White Elephants” enriches the feelings of both characters which allows the reader to interpret the deeper meaning of the story. The dialogue used between the American man and the girl is short and blunt, and on the surface may seem like a simple conversation, but underneath is the sense that they are irritated or distraught over the thought of abortion. They often respond to each other vaguely and sarcastically using two to three word answers or none at all. Hemingway makes obvious that there is tension between the two and the repetition of lines such as, “if you don’t want to you don’t have to. I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to. But I know it’s perfectly simple.” (Hemingway 172), shows that the man is pushing Jig into going through with the operation trying to get her to believe that that is what she really wants although in truth it is him that wants it. The obliqueness of their conversations reveals their reluctance to think about the truth of a pregnancy that would only be burdensome to them. Jig also often says things like, “I don’t care about me.” or “No we can’t. It isn’t ours anymore.” (Hemingway 173). Which hints that she does not want to do anything but please the American man and to only do what would make him happy which would therefore make her happy. Hemingway’s choice of ambiguous sentences gets the audience to think more thoughtfully into the simple sentences and discover the hidden meaning behind them.
1: How does ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants”, Ernest Hemingway gets away with giving just the bare necessities to the reader: all we have to go off of is two people, a man and a woman, are in a train station in Ebro. The reader is forced into inferring everything else—who they are, why they are here, where they are going, what kind of operation they talk about. This vagueness is a tool Hemingway utilizes to make the characters simultaneously more mysterious and more believable.
Neither one is entirely sure what the other is thinking, and from the limited perspective Hemingway offers, the readers are not certain either. For example, here the man insists “You’ve got to realize that I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to” (Hemingway 173), when talking over the enigmatic operation. With no insight on his thoughts or motives, this could be a genuine and sincere statement. Or, the man could be pressuring her into a dangerous surgery with his own personal reasons in mind. This makes the characters more three dimensional: by not giving us their intentions, the man and girl seem to have their own thoughts, secret from us. If Hemingway painstakingly described all of their inner secrets, the work would be reduced to a flat, 15 page description of a couple sitting at a train station, discussing abortion over a few cold ones.
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DeleteQuestion 2: How does Hemingway’s syntax affect the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, his use of syntax in the story really enriches it. Syntax is generally used to write well-formed sentences using arrangement of words. However, I believe that Hemingway did the same thing using an arrangement of sentences. Hemingway shows that there is a reoccurring/troubling topic by the repletion of simple sentences such as, “If I do it you won’t ever worry. I won’t worry about that because it’s perfectly simple. Then I’ll do it. Because I don’t care about me. What do you mean? I don’t care about me.” (Hemingway, 173). Using this type of syntax, he proves that under the surface of these simple sentences, is a tone of irritation and frustration. The American man does not state that he wants the Jig to get the abortion, but thanks to Hemingway’s syntax, we know that he really does, and that Jig is skeptical. Hemingway says, “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 afterwards? We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before. What makes you think so? That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway, 172). Hemingway’s use of syntax allows us as the readers to determine the tone and mood of the story, and to portray feelings of sarcasm and skepticism, in order to find a deeper meaning.
Question 2. How does Hemingway's syntax affect the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway's syntax affects the meaning of "Hills Like White Elephants", specifically through the many transitions in dialogue lengths of various subjects. The general meaning of this story is how a seemingly whimsical-like relationship involving two people gradually falls apart when a conflict arises. In the near beginning of the story, after a setting description, Hemingway incorporates the man nonchalantly informing, "It's pretty hot" in response to Jig asking, "What should we drink?" (Hemingway 171). The dialogue is short. This is a feature of small talk. Though they are familiar with each other, Jig and the man display a feeling of discomfort, as if they were strangers meeting for the first time. Both characters are tiptoeing around the more significant topic lying in the back of their minds. The longer sentences in dialogue refer to their feelings in the relationship. Jig attempts, "I said the mountains looked like white elephants" and "They don't really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees" (Hemingway 172). Jig struggles to put a fanciful sentiment back into their bond. From there, the syntax transforms into concise sentence structures in dialogue pertaining to the abortion. Jig does not reference the imaginative scenery again; knowing that she cannot get their special link back to what is was before. The longer formation of sentences comes back towards the end, this time with reiteration. Jig avoids any further discussion of abortion when requesting, "Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?" and again by claiming, "I feel fine... There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine" (Hemingway 174). Once more, these sentences set the mood of their relationship. The man and Jig are back to walking on eggshells, and the topic of abortion is still not at rest. During the entirety of this dialogue filled story, their relationship spirals downward into a mood that is most definitely not fine for either of them.
I am going to be responding to the third prompt: “What is the tone of the story, and how does the dialogue impact the tone?”
ReplyDeleteIn Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants”, the story seems to relay a simple and friendly conversation between two friends or possibly lovers. When first reading through the story, without thinking about it too much, one would think of the conversation as small talk over some beer, but as I began to notice the vagueness of the dialogue and description of the characters, the wheels began to churn in my mind. The man and the girl, Jig, order beers and talk of hills resembling white elephants, when finally, the conversation begins to linger on more serious topics. There seems to be a shift in the tone, the dialogue beginning to come rapid fire or in short, curt sentences with very vague phrases such as “I don’t know” and “I guess so”. Even though the story does lack adverbs, it conveys a tone of nervousness, worry, the girl character’s dialogue slightly antsy, shown in her repetitive questions and conversation topics such as, “And you think then we’ll be all right and be happy” (Hemingway 172). She constantly begins to question their happiness together, revisiting how performing this unknown “operation” will affect their well-being, asking, “Then what will we do afterward” (Hemingway 172), “What makes you think so” (Hemingway 172), and “And you really want to” (Hemingway 172). Jig’s relentless questioning aimed towards the male character shows how nervous and unsure she is. Not necessarily irritated, because she wants to discuss the topic and finally decide, which makes her want to continue to revisit the topic. The dialogue seems to escalate as well, a slight tension building up towards the end of the conversation, like that of a back and forth argument. The man agrees with Jig’s comment on being capable of owning “everything”, being “on top of the world”, but his eagerness to pacify her seems to upset her, for she replies, “No, we can’t” (Hemingway 173). Multiple times Jig answers in that short and straightforward way that it seems to sting and hang in the air. She even asks several times for their conversation to end, but it does not seem to, maybe due to the overbearing uncertainty laced into the nerves and worry. It is probably instinctual or personal experience that seems to mold the idea in my head that the conversation is a couple‘s quarrel. It could be the repetition and even comments that are borderline snarky, wanting to dismiss the conversation totally. So in conclusion, I feel as though, at first glance, Jig and the male character may be having a little talk over beer, but as the dialogue begins to progress, the tone becomes nervous, antsy, worrisome, apprehensive, ending with a sprinkle of tension.
In “Hills Like White Elephants,” Ernest Hemingway uses little descriptions in the story to have a sense of mystery and vagueness. In the story, the readers are given few simple facts including a character’s name, the setting, and the second character’s nationality. By using ambiguity, Hemingway forces the readers to focus more on the conversation between the two characters; this allows the readers to question the subject of the conversation. As the characters were talking, the American man said, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig… It’s not really an operation at all” (Hemingway 172). By having no background description of the characters, the readers don’t know what lead to this point. Hemingway’s ambiguity can lead to questions such as: Why did the American man bring up abortion in the first place? Why are they going to Madrid? Overall, Hemingway used ambiguity to leave a lingering thought of mystery but enough content to suffice.
ReplyDeleteThis is in response to prompt #1
DeleteQuestion 1. How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteIn “Hills Like White Elephants”, by Ernest Hemingway, the ambiguity adds meaning to the story by letting the readers give their own interpretation about the two main characters and the conversation between the two. As the American man speaks to the girl known as Jig, he explains, “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig.” (Hemingway 42). With this simple line, the reader does not know what this mysterious operation is. This line sparks the reader’s curiosity and gives the reader the freedom to imagine whatever operation Jig might have. Since the line is so vague, the reader is left to fill in the blanks and mold the main character’s conversation into whatever the reader might think is really happening. What also sparks the reader’s interest is the way Jig says, “And you think then we’ll be all right and be happy.” (Hemingway 53). Since Jig needs reassurance that she and the American man will be happy makes the reader question what kind of relationship she has with the man and leads the reader to fabricate the background on these characters. With curiosity, the reader begins to find special meanings and feelings behind the two main character’s conversation and this adds a deeper meaning for the whole story.
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ReplyDeleteHemingway’s use ambiguity creates suspense and a want to know what is happening in the story. Hemingway never mentioned what the American or Jig was talking about, but hints were given little at a time to lead the reader to what the unknown operation would be. The ambiguity adds suspense to what the 2 are talking about the entire story; it forces the reader to read the story more careful to fill in the excluded parts. Everything seemed like a great vacation until, “It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” (Hemingway 172) Hemingway did not follow through by explaining what it was that the Jig and the American were talking about, but clues like “white elephants” (Hemingway 172) helped point out it was an abortion. It showed that the operation was to help fix something that they would not have seen coming, and the hills represented the belly of a pregnant woman. In conclusion ambiguity makes the reader of “Hills like White Elephants" think thoroughly to fill in the gaps that are not included.
ReplyDeleteHey guys! (It’s getting pretty late!)
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. How does Hemingway's syntax affect the meaning of the story?
Hemingway’s syntax in “Hills Like White Elephants” serves as a supplement to the meaning of the story and the characterization of the characters. In the beginning of the story, Hemingway uses brevity and simple sentence structures to initiate the dialogue of the story in a casual and carefree setting. As the story progresses onwards, Hemingway uses brevity combined with repetition to indirectly reveal the actual conflict between the two main characters and the friction resulting from it. This technique of Hemingway is apparent as Jig, after being reminded of the ‘operation’, suppresses her true emotions concerning the subject by expressing how they “can have everything” (173) while the American man repeatedly expresses, “No, we can’t” (173). Now, in this case, as the class mentioned, the conflict is probably abortion. Jig is sarcastically accepting her mate’s advice of abortion through her expressions which highlights her strong attachment for the zygote inside of her. Jig’s expression also serves to show that she is slightly passive to her actual feelings, using sarcasm to suppress her actual feelings in a carefree way. Meanwhile, although her mate brings the topic of abortion into the dialogue and initially shows approval towards the act of abortion, regarding of it as a “simple operation” and possibly a stepping stone for a greater bond between the two, his repetition in response to Jig’s sarcasm hints a bit of attachment to the zygote and his concerns for Jig’s actual feelings. This in turn, shows that her mate is assertive and concerned of Jig: he confidently proposes his advice, but later hinders away from it in concern for Jig. Thus, overall the use of repetition and brevity in Hemingway’s syntax emphasizes the tension between the two couple over concerns of abortion despite the seemingly casual, playful dialogue.
*Edit to last sentence: (ahahaha.. :( )
ReplyDelete...despite the seemingly casual, playful dialogue in the beginning of the story.
Question 1: How does the ambiguity add to the meaning of the story?
ReplyDeleteIn the story, “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway the readers are not told the subject of the conversation, but Hemmingway causes them to question what is going on. For instance, when Jig and the American repetitively states back and forth, “’It’s really an awfully simple operation’…’I know it’s perfectly simple’” (Hemingway 172) the readers can infer that the topic cannot be said aloud. The characters cannot say the word abortion. The characters understand that if either of them speaks of abortion, one of the two would have a horrid reaction. After repetitively stating what is simple and what they can lose, readers can understand that the subject is abortion, since losing a child is a hard subject to talk about, and it is something they cannot re-obtain. As such, Hemingway creates a story where readers must interpret the reading and add their own ideas. By going around the subject of abortion, he creates a story with a sense of mystery causing readers to think of the characters vague conversation and the meaning that the story portrays.
Jason Pham
I am responding to the third prompt:What is the tone of the story and how does the dialogue impact the tone?
ReplyDeleteIn Ernest Hemingway's “Hills like White Elephants”, his halting and repeating dialogue dictates both the confliction in the females emotions and overall the passiveness between the two characters. The female in the story, Jig, always looks back at how her and her companion's way of life was before the “operation” became an issue to them. Their life was easy going and all they did was “‘look at things and try new drinks’”. Jig is very collected, and punctual as she offers “‘And afterward they were all so happy”’ to her thoughts of why the abortion would be okay, but follows up with the sentence “‘And you really want to?”. The male replies “‘I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don't really want to”’. This exchange shows Jigs uncertainty with the issue but also that she is scoping to see that her companion thinks. When she states ‘you really want to’, Hemingway wrote this to show that Jig was suggesting that it was her companions idea. Her way of not bluntly asking him if this is a good idea of not is her way of trying to understand where her companions view is on the ‘operation’ , which also exhibits a passive tone. This also is an examples of Jigs conflictions as she doesn’t sound very supportive of either view that she expresses in those two sentences( either to get the abortion or not). Her companion, the unnamed man, also is very vague when he replies an affirmative, yes, do it, get the abortion, but then retracts his statement by saying no, whatever you want, I’ll support it Jig. This abrupt change in from affirmation to submission is very revealing as to telling the readers his real feelings. From all this one can draw the conclusion that even without any tell-tale words like suggestively or sarcastically, abrupt changes in dialogue can hint at the tone of the story.
What is the tone of the story, and how does the dialogue impact the tone?
ReplyDeleteThe tone of "Hills Like White Elephants" is serious, which is contrasted to the leisurely setting. The initial setting is leisurely, but there is a sudden point where conflict seems to occur, when the man says "Well, let's try to have a fine time" (Hemingway). The mood only becomes tense once the man brings up the operation, making Jig troubled. Jig tries to avoid any deep concern about the operation. Jig is very hesitant, with her unease being conveyed by her constant questions towards the man who constantly reassures her that "It's an awfully simple operation" (Hemingway 172). Jig is trying to avoid the topic, even to the point of asking the man, "Can't we stop talking?" (Hemingway 173). The tone of the story is serious when the man becomes concerned with Jig, even though she tries to be nonchalant. The serious tone conveys Jig's unease about the operation, and her unwillingness to delve into the subject even with the man's concern.
How does ambiguity add meaning to the story?
ReplyDeleteIt took me three times of reading this story through before I even had a clue it was about abortion. The first time I read it I felt so lost that I thought I might have missed a page of this story. I thought that I was missing something vital that would let me in on this "simple operation." The fact that this story is very ambiguous made me have to read it over three times. So I know that if nothing else, Ernest Hemingway used this as a device to make people linger on his short story. So many pieces seem to be missing. However, he left just enough clues that it is possible after much thought to unravel what is going on.
How vaguely Jig and the American talk about the operation, though at first may seem annoying, hints at the true topic of the story. In normal situations people would just say the name of the operation, and would not repeatedly say things like, "It's not really anything," or "It's just to let the air in." (Hemingway 172) The fact that they are so shy to REALLY talk about the operation shows that it is something bad or not acceptable conversation. This is important to the development of the story because the reader knows just enough to understand that something is wrong but nothing more. It's the hook that kept me reading; I wanted to know what the operation was. Ambiguity adds some mystery and works hand in hand with the taboo subject to add depth to the story.
-Hannah Szentkuti