Just Let The Air In
When I read “Hills Like White Elephants” for the first time I did not pick up on the underlying theme of abortion. It took me a second time reading through it before I realized what the short story of Jig and the American was actually about. Two things stood out to me: first all of the symbolism used by Hemingway and second was the issue of abortion. I’ll tackle the latter.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that abortion has been a hot topic among political candidates and common folk alike. Pro-Life or Pro-Choice: friendships are both forged and broken depending on which side you choose. Party lines are drawn by one’s choice. Supposedly all Republicans are Pro-Life and Democrats are Pro-Choice. Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion has been legal in all fifty states. Before that it was illegal in thirty states and legal depending on certain conditions in the other twenty: legal on request in New York, Alaska, Hawai’i, and Washington; legal in the event of rape in Mississippi; legal in the event that there was a clear danger to the woman’s health in Alabama and Massachusetts; and legal in case of danger to woman's health, rape or incest, or likely damaged fetus in: California, Oregon, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut. Since my future plans at the moment are to become a medical doctor, and my mom is a Registered Nurse/Clinical Nurse Specialist on the Obstetrics floor at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, we’ve discussed on several occasions our views on abortion. Both my mom and I agree that the right to an abortion depends on the situation, ie. rape, incest or a traumatic incident. However that’s the extent in which our ideas are the same. She thinks that every woman should have the right to decide. However I think that if a girl and guy had sex without proper protection then they should have to deal with the consequences. At six weeks into the pregnancy the fetus has a heartbeat and I would argue that abortion is killing a human being and therefore is murder.
I find it extremely brave of Hemingway to write a short story that when it was published was about an extremely taboo topic, however in today’s society it would probably go by the wayside.
Robert,
ReplyDeleteI definitely had to read back through this story a second time before understanding that it was about abortion. I also agree that it was brave of Hemingway to write about this topic, but mostly I found the subtlety impressive. To find that fine line in between coming right out and presenting the subject and being too vague for anyone to understand it is an impressive feat, and it is obvious he was a master of his craft.
Robert,
ReplyDeleteI love the last part you said about how it was so brave of him to publish it when he did, but now it wouldn't mean nearly as much. It is interesting to see how our hot topics have stayed the same over time, but how our civilization has changed, thus altering the weight of different literary pieces.
I can also say that I had no idea that the story was about abortion the first time that I read it. I picked up on a hidden message, but I had no idea what it was (Suicide was actually the first thing that I thought of). In my opinion, this is definitely the best example of the iceberg theory that we have read throughout the semester.
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