End Of Relationships In Quot Hills Like White Elephants Quot

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End of Relationships in "Hills like White Elephants"

Authors are always guided by the need to speak to a particular topic as they compose

works of art. Consequently, in any literary work, short stories being no exception have

inherent themes that that author sets out to address. Even though a literary work can talk

about several themes, there is a central theme that entire narration will revolve around and

this is a condition that has to be met. Short stories are known for their brevity and speaking

directly to the theme concerned. The concise nature of such stories makes the authors to meet

the objective. "Hills like White Elephants" exemplifies the concept of having a central theme

from which others emanate on which the story revolve around. "Hills like White Elephants" is

a narrative in which the author talks about the end of a relationship, and all major points and

themes mainly grow out of this scenario.

Firstly, the central theme of the end of a relationship gives rise to the idea of dealing

with difficulty in a relationship. The characters are concerned with how to handle a

problematic situation that confounds them in the name of dealing with unplanned pregnancy.

It is open from the arguments of the couple that there is a conflict on this matter and they do

not know how best to handle it since they have divergent opinions. For this reason, it is

important to note that the couple in "Hills like White Elephants" are engaged in a debate

concerning the proper course of action to deal with an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.

One instance is when the conversation goes like “And we could have everything and every

day we make it impossible” (Hemingway, p. 212). Many relationships are often rife with

conflicts and diverse opinion. Therefore, there is a need for proper and efficient

communication to ensure that the couple comes to a common ground by reaching a

compromise to handle the differences. It is the one thing that the couple fails dramatically to

do as their relationship is defined by the failure of either of them to take charge of the

situation and see the best way of handling the issue. This debate pits the man against the

woman. Consequently, we learn from this experience that there is a conflict of the sexes as

far as dealing with unplanned or unwanted pregnancy is concerned, supporting the idea of the

end of a relationship.

The nature of the argument of the couple broaches thematic ideas that concern the

intractability of time. It shows that one cannot turn back the clock. Similarly, this builds on

the idea of the persistence of memory, as it is practically impossible to forget things on

purpose. We see the man trying in vain to convince his partner that she can procure an

abortion and that this would lead to them regaining the easy and loving relationship they once

had. The main idea raised by this kind of agreement is that it is not possible to undo things or

events that have happened because time cannot be reversed. Even though the couple does not

want this pregnancy, it is imperative to note that the pregnancy has occurred and thus it is

upon the two to deal with the situation decisively. Such instances are important in informing

the fate of a relationship in the sense that when the persons involved cannot make the right

decision and act upon the matter with the effort of mitigating it; the relationship can collapse,

bearing in mind the grave seriousness of the matter. On the issuer of memory, it is also

impossible to purposefully forget something out of choice. Rather, our memories are

designed in such a way that such serious occurrences in life are likely to live with us, almost

to the point of our entire lives. It is, therefore, insensitive of the man to even suggest that they

can procure an abortion and that the lady will just forget it like that. The basic idea here is

that relationships are determined by a lot of things, and their end could be decided by such

levels of insensitiveness on various matters.

"Hills Like White Elephants" also epitomizes the idea of a lack of communication or a

lack of understanding. When these two important ingredients lack in a relationship, then the

relationship can be ill-fated because any relationship must be underpinned by these elements.

In the events portrayed in "Hills Like White Elephants,"this is not the case, and the lack of

both understanding and communication is elaborated in two important ways. Foremost, an

instance of the lack is evident in the way the female character does not comprehend Spanish,

making her not to understand what the waitress is saying throughout the narration. Most

importantly, however, a lack of communication is evident in the manner that the couple

exhibits this same lack. This attitude is evident as the story ends when the man asks the

woman whether she is okay and her response is “I feel fine… nothing is wrong with me. I

feel fine” (Hemingway, p. 214). A functional relationship should be underpinned by

communication and the need to understand one another during essential discourses in life.

However, the woman does not agree with her partner and from all indications, does not want

to understand what the man is saying. This attitude makes the man fail to understand why the

woman will not agree with him and why she often bristles and act with fickle edginess. Since

all the themes and ideas raised in the story speak to the central theme of the end of a

relationship, it is important to point out that the apparent lack of communication and

understanding culminate into the end of the relationship. The man tries as much as he can to

explain things and converse with his companion; however, the attitude of the woman is based

in impatience that does not allow them to address any topic that comes about firmly and

decisively.

"Hills like White Elephants" is a narrative in which the author talks about the end of a

relationship, and all major points and themes mainly grow out of this scenario. The end of a

relationship reaches when there are underlying issues in the relationship itself. However, all

the events portrayed here are open to interpretation because the narrative is quite understated.

The bottom line, however, is that the companionship between the two is in jeopardy because

they have a problem dealing with an unwanted pregnancy, there is no communication and a

lack of understanding, and that time cannot be reversed after important events in life have

transpired.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. "Hills like white elephants." The complete short stories of Ernest

Hemingway (1927): 211-14.

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End of Relationships in quot Hills like White Elephants quot

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