Please respond to both questions in separate paragraphs. Make sure you revisit the "Things They Carried" post to look at my comments and those of classmates.
Hemingway is known for his "Iceberg" style of writing. He only gives so much information, claiming the reader is intelligent enough to sort through the rest of the information to understand what is really happening.
1. 50 words- What point of view does Hemingway use? Why not tell the story in another mode?
2. 150 words- What is the issue the couple is discussing in the story? How does she feel? How does he feel? How do you feel about the characters due to their discussion?
I believe first person view connects the reader with the story more so than a third person approach. In this particular story, Hemingway uses a third person view to disconnect the reader to the graveness of the situation. An abortion, not necessarily being a positive thing, could've brought the reader to believe that the characters are making the wrong decision had it been written in first person view.
ReplyDeleteThe situation portrayed in “Hills Like White Elephants” depicts a young, indecisive girl whose boyfriend (or husband) is extremely pressuring. The woman is pregnant and her man friend is trying to persuade her to have an abortion. This is obviously a rather tough subject. She epitomizes the word indecisive. She begins the story as a conforming person, but as she progresses she begins to change her stance. This can be seen when she changes her perception of the hills. The man, on the other hand, is relatively stern with his statements regarding the predicament they have found themselves in. He is in favor of having an abortion, and makes that evident. His arguments to persuade the girl leads to what is somewhat of a raw conversation. I feel that the man expresses absolutely no compassion for what the woman is going through. However, the woman sometimes feels like she needs to conform to the man’s wants with disregard to her own well-being.
DeleteIn Hemingway’s, “Hills Like White Elephants” a point of view is not used on one of the characters, but is used in third person. The third person point of view is not all knowing either making it omniscient.
ReplyDeleteTelling the story in another mode is just not what Hemingway works. He likes to use his iceberg style with the intent of having an intelligent reader read his stories, and hopes that they understand the hidden meaning.
The couple in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is talking about their issue on about the girl getting an abortion. He wants her to do the abortion and he tries to quell her fear of the operation, yet she is still reserved about it throughout the story. The girl seems like she would do anything to keep the man happy, so she would probably go through with the abortion, but she fears that after the operation he will no longer care about her. The girl seems to be immature and young wanting to stay with him; and the man has a selfish air about him when he wants her to have the operation so he doesn’t have to settle down. In the end she realizes it’s her decision to go through with the abortion and seems to grow up some and understands that the relationship is not stable and most likely not to last with or without the baby.
DeleteHemingway uses a third person point of view to describe what is taking place in this story. I think Hemingway utilizes third person as a way to stay distant and disconnected emotionally. Probably another reason he is referred to as an “Iceberg” kind of writer. If he were to use first person for example, there might be more sentiment relayed in the text.
ReplyDelete1.
ReplyDeleteHemingway uses a third person point of view. It is more ominous and all knowing. Hemingway doesn’t tell the story in another “mode” because he is known of his “Iceberg” style of writing and this would be contrary to his other work. By writing in the third person Hemingway is keeping the story ominous while not getting too personal with the characters and almost leaving you hanging by not directly addressing the topic.
2.
The couple is discussing the issue of abortion. Although the story never flat out states that this is what they are talking about, this is obviously what they are talking about. The woman, “Jig”, seems uncertain about the procedure. She is very reluctant to agree with the man who feels that the procedure is necessary. After some persuasion she is perfectly fine with the procedure. She thinks of her friends who had it done and how they were happy afterward and this helped her to decide that this is what she wanted to do. The man is all for the abortion. He tries to convince the woman that they will be happier because of the abortion. When the woman says the “hills look like white elephants” she is alluding to her baby, the “white elephant”, she is stating that she doesn’t want the baby. I feel that the characters are not very good people because they want to get rid of their baby. The discussion is very bleak and lacking. It doesn’t state the obvious. It’s just ambiguous.
1.
ReplyDeleteHemmingway uses third person point of view, because it makes it simpler for the reader to understand the conversations that the girl and boy have. Hemmingway wants to be universal and be in the mind of both of the speakers. If Hemmingway used first person it would it more difficult for the reader to understand both points of the story.
2.
In “Hills like White Elephants”, the couple is discussing an operation, which is an abortion. The girl wants to keep the kid and stay with the man and everything is alright, while the man does not want the kid and still be together with her. He tries convincing her that it’s a simple operation and everything will be just perfect after she has the operation. I feel that the girl is young and immature, and she wants to love the man. The man has made his mind up completely that he does not want it. He makes the girl indecisive in what she wants. An example is when she says the hills look like white elephants then later on in the story she says the hills don’t look like white elephants, showing us that she can’t make up her mind. This makes me feel like she finally makes her decision in the end of the story.
In "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway uses a 3rd person point of view to keep the actual emotions and feelings of the two charecters out of the readers reach. He does this to emphasis the mask the charecters wear as they carry on their coversation. this opens another layer in the story as the reader sorts through what seems true, and what is actually true.
ReplyDeleteHemingway uses a third person point of view to reveal what is taking place in this text. I believe he does this to stay distant from the emotion or keep from getting involved personally. If he were to use first person there would be more emotion and understanding. Hemingway uses the “iceberg” style of writing to make the reader think.
ReplyDelete1.In “Hills like White Elephants,” Hemingway writes in a very limited third person point of view. He does not reveal the thoughts of the characters, emphasizing on the tension just by the conversation and descriptions of body language that they have. This style makes the story more dramatic and relatable.
ReplyDelete2.The issue in the short story “Hills like White Elephants,” is the decision on whether or not to have an abortion. The author makes the girl seem very young and dependent on the American man. When Jig comes to terms with the unfixable situation she starts to change her mind about having an abortion knowing either way she can not please the man anymore. The American is a very plain man who doesn’t want to give up his life for a baby. He comes off in a very persuasive but demanding way. The man is very prominent and consistent about the girl making a decision to have the abortion. I feel the characters have a very immature and spontaneous relationship. They are making decisions based on the moment and not the future. The couple is very irresponsible and unhealthy. The way the couple handles the situations reveals their true selves and how different their thoughts for their futures are.
150
ReplyDeleteSupposedly they are discussing abortion, I don’t see this discussed at all in this story. I see them having a conflict about something they don’t agree on. Arguing is causing them to change the way they act towards each other. Making them want to go there separate ways. If they can get rid of whatever is conflicting them. They can go back to loving each other. Now saying they are talking about abortion as the conflict. The "American” man in the relationship wants Jig to have a abortion and go back to the way they were before. He also keeps saying he wants her to do what makes her happy. She is questing herself on the decision whether or not to have the child. She is scared of the operation and the outcome of him not wanting to be with her after it is all said and done. She has various mixed emotions. She also wanting to make him happy. But she feels like he don’t want to be with her either way. I feel like they should of never got in this predicament to begin with. They should of used either birth control or protection. I think they should go different ways. This story is ridiculously confusing.
Dalton Tillison
The story starts out with them ordering drinks which already lead us to begin to believe that there is some kind of tension between them and that the drinks are to delay the inevitable conversation that they keep putting off. We get this sense that there are more deeply rooted issues in this couple’s relationship other than the predicament at hand. Certain things they say in this story make us believe that the current situation in which they are talking about is them getting an abortion. The way they handle the whole issue hints that their relationship with each other has no real foundation. She says that all they ever do with each other is drink, which really isn’t much of a relationship if you ask me. At the beginning I think she is reluctant to go through with it but by the end of the story I think she changes her mind and almost feels good about it, I think this because of the way she changes her mind about how the hills and says they are almost pretty. I think the man is for the operation all along and is nervous she won’t go through with it and he might have deal with that responsibility. I think the girl is young and immature and the man irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteHe tells it in 3rd person. Where he is like invisible and listening to the couple talk. If you told the story in 1st person it would be biased. It would make the reader seem one is right and one is wrong. It would not sound the same to the reader.
ReplyDeleteHemingway uses third person point of view to write his story. If he were to use another point of view as in like first person, it would be more difficult to explain; because when he uses third person point of view we see two sepreate character and we can clearly see that they are having a very serious conversation.
ReplyDeleteIn the story “Hills Like White Elephants”, the big problem the couple is facing is wether or not to abort their baby. The girl isn’t so sure about the idea and she thinks that if she aborts the baby the man will not love her as mch as he did before. The man is telling the girl that he doesn’t care either way and would still love her even if she wanted to have an abortion. i feel as though she believes the baby is the cause of all their problems. She seems scared and afraid and unsure of what the abortion will bring upon her and the man. The man is telling her that he wants her to be fine and to have fun, but she isn’t so sure of the situtation. Over and over again she askes him if things will go back to the way they were and if he will still love her. Making her seems unsure of what to really do.
ReplyDeleteTori Perry:150
ReplyDeleteThe story “Hills Like White Elephants”, written by Hemingway was about abortion. In the story the mother who is pregnant is a little confused about the situation on wether or not she wants to have the abortion. Shes would like to travel along with her husband but I think that her consious is telling her other wise. While on the other hand her husband the father of the child is wanting her to go through with the decesion. He tells her that everything could go back to normal and they wouldn’t have to give up anything. They could have their lifes back. I feel as if the husband is being selfish and trying to manipulate the wife into having the abortion because he is not ready for a child. While the mother is in the right the whole time about keeping it she is unsure because she wants him to love her.
Tori Perry: 50
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hemingway is using third point of view through out this story. If he were to use first point of view that abortion could come across either negative or positive. But by using third it doesn’t really come out either way. Making the readers decide on their own.
In “Hills like White Elephants” written by Ernest Hemingway a young couple is discussing what to do about their unborn baby. It seems that the pregnancy is causing conflict in their relationship and is a problem the man wants to get rid of. In the discussion they have decided on abortion and are waiting on their train to take them to get it done. As they wait the young woman “Jig” is having second thoughts and worries about the operation harming her. The man keeps reassuring her that it is just a simple operation, but also says he does not want to make her do something she does not want to do and is willing to keep the child. In the end the decision on abortion stays, the young woman “Jig” wants everything to go back to the way it was before she became pregnant and make the man happy. She just wants them to be happy again.
ReplyDeleteWho figured the story out on their own without looking it up? It is a challenging story in content and style. You all did a great job of interpreting the relationship. Nicely done!
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