Essay | Societal Prejudice Against Women in "Hills Like White Elephants"

In the short story Hills Like White Elephants, Ernest Hemmingway's characters situation is greatly a product of the social standards for men and women of the time around the 1930s. Their problems which come into play other than the topic of the abortion, such as their relationship, their nationalities, and their financial situation all help to create that feeling of helpless indecision and inevitability that are apparent throughout the story. The style of writing that is used leaves much of the meaning of the story hidden and an understanding of the relationships between men and women of the era can lead to a deeper understanding of the story.

Jig, the pregnant female in the story plays a relatively helpless role. Her situation as a young European women involved with an older American man traveling Europe, puts her in a very reliant position. But being pregnant...
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