Hills Like White Elephants, or Like Friends?

              My first response to “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, was a relief to its shortened length compared to the passages we have been reading recently. Thus, I was more than willing to do a blog about this reading. Besides its short length, it truly was an interesting story—one that caused me to think deeply about the hidden meaning of the conversation being held by the man and the woman. This short story leaves readers wondering what exactly the topic of the discussion was that was being held. Hemingway resorts to creating this sense of curiosity by leaving out details about the storyline in many of his other passages as well.

                Once I pulled up Cliffs Notes and read a detailed summary of the story, I finally was able to identify the situation being discussed as one about the woman’s pregnancy and whether or not she should get an abortion. Ironically, at the same time I was reading this story and the summary on Cliffs Notes, I was watching an episode of Friends. The particular episode on TV had to do with Rachel’s pregnancy with her and Ross’ child. It seemed ironic not only that both what I was watching and what I was reading had to do with pregnancy, but also because of the similarities present in the relationships between both the man and the woman from the story and between Ross and Rachel on Friends.

                There are seasons upon seasons of Friends, each of which encompasses its own unique addition to the long list of Ross and Rachel stories. The two characters on the show have gone through countless cycles of dating,  breaking up, and somehwere in the awkward stage in between. Throughout Rachel’s pregnancy, Ross and Rachel are not together, yet they decide to go through with having the baby and agree to raise it together as if they were still a dating couple. Although Ross exudes feelings of care and sincerity towards Rachel, the two characters have gotten themselves into a somewhat sticky situation by conceiving a child together without having an established relationship, which has caused a lot of tension and conflict to come between their friendship. The particular episode that I was watching involved Ross meeting an attractive young girl, which causes him to consider whether or not he wanted to seize the opportunity to start dating her or, for that matter, other women in general. Rachel, who is frustrated and offended, finally confronts Ross with her feelings of discomfort regarding this possibility. She clearly states how she would sincerely appreciate it if he would focus on taking care of her during her pregnancy and making sure the baby was born into a healthy environment rather than spending his time dating other women. This is only one of many examples of the tension and conflict that exists between their relationship as a result of the illegitimate child that they have conceived and are about to bring into the world.

                The truth behind the relationship between the man and the woman in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elphants” is initially somewhat concealed. But after further analyzing the conversation that they hold and interpreting their thoughts, it is made evident that there is tension and conflict between their relationship, as well. The man is encouraging the woman to have the operation, or an abortion, because he has heard that it is “…not really an operation at all” and that it is “…perfectly simple.” The woman makes clear her feelings of discomfort regarding the situation by repeatingly asking him to stop talking. She depicts her young age and innocence by commenting about the alcohol that they are consuming and revealing her infamiliarity with its taste. She ends up agreeing to undergo the operation in an effort to simply change the subject away from the stressful topic. He claims to love her, but he also states that he is worried and will only stop worrying if and when she has the operation because her pregnancy is “…the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” This places a great amount of pressure on a young girl, who is very much under the assumption that the man loves her dearly and wishes to take on the world with her at his side. However, why does he feel so passionately about having this operation if he wants to “have the whole world” with her? It doesn’t make sense, and the tension continues to build up throughout the entire story, much like the tension that exists between Ross and Rachel.

                The fact that I was watching this particular episode of Friends while trying to read this rather short passage at the same time was an incredibly ironic coincidence. Friends is a television show that I have loved for years, and it has often been a large distraction for me in terms of getting my homework done late at night. However, this beloved television show finally served a meaningful purpose. It helped to shed some light onto the reality of the seemingly loving relationship between the man and the woman. It also emphasized the passage’s modernist tendencies, since it is so relatable to a television show that had its peak performance in the 1990’s and 2000’s. It was an interesting story that captured many of Hemingway’s past literary functions, as well as offering an extremely modernistic view of a debatable issue.