Hills+Like+White+Elephants

Summary Story Characters Making Inferences' Key Quotes and Ideas = = = Hills like White Elephants Summary =

" Hills like White Elephants" is about a boyfriend and girlfriend couple who are in [|Barcelona] and waiting for a train to [|Madrid]. The couple is talking about an operation for the lady in the relationship but they do not say what the operation is in the story, they just give hints and context clues. From what we can figure out, the operation is an abortion. The lady, Jig, is not sure if she wants to get an abortion, but she will drink alcoholic substances like beer and anis del toro, with her boyfriend in Barcelona while having a baby in her stomach. They do not tell us the decision of Jig in the end of the story. Part of it is thinking up your own end for the story.

In the "Hills Like White Elephants" inference is used a lot. Inference is to make a conclusion about something. In Hills like White Elephants inference is used mainly when they talk about abortion. They don't exactly say the word "abortion" but they give off clues about it so people can make inferences about it.

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 * CHARACTERS**

The Man ** : **** A young American man, unmarried, who waits with a girl in a railway station in Spain. He keeps bugging Jig to get an abortion. He loves to travel and if she has a baby, then they can not travel anymore.

The Girl: Referred to by the young man as “Jig,” she is trying to decide whether or not to have an abortion; she slowly becomes increasingly angry as the young man minimizes her dilemma. She gets very sensitive every time "the man" brings up abortion. ** Bartender: Serves the American and Jig beer as they talk about the abortion. **Making Inferences:**
 * When "Jig," drinks the alcoholic beverages, we can infer that she has already decided not to keep the baby.
 * When the man was talking about the girl getting the operation, he says that they just let the air in. We can infer that this means he wants her to get an abortion.
 * Because they had a variety of hotel bags with them, we can infer that they have been traveling.

**Key Quotes and Ideas**
"Well," said the man, "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" //page 34// In this quote, the man is saying that he would still love the woman if he did not get an abortion, but he thinks that it is a good idea. He does not think that it is a dangerous surgery, and the man believes that if she gets rid of the baby, they could go all over the world how the always wanted to.

"It's really an awfully simple operation, Jig,"the man said. "It's not really an operation at all." ... "I know you wouldn't mind it, Jig. It's not really anything. It's just to let the air in." //page 34// The man is trying to persuade Jig that getting the abortion is a very simple thing. It does not hurt, and it's just a quick thing, and then, the baby is gone.

"And afterward they were all so happy" //page 34// The woman, Jig, said that she knew people who got an abortion, and they were happy afterward. They were glad that they were not tied down by a baby, and they can still travel and have fun.

"I know but if i do it, then it will be nice again if i say things are like white elephants, and you'll like it?" pg 35 The woman says that if she gets the abortion that everything would be nice again. She asked the man if he will like it when she says things are like white elephants and the man says yes that he would love it. When she said it earlier the man didn't really show any interest in it.


 * [|Symbols and Themes]:** "Hills Like White Elephants" presents a couple in the midst of a crisis. Although unmarried, the girl is pregnant and the man who has made her pregnant wants her to have an abortion. His belief is that the choice for abortion will free them to return to the lives they had lived before the pregnancy. He does not want to share the girl with anyone, particularly not a baby. He believes that the consequences of having the baby will lead to the breakup of the relationship.