Topic > formal document - 974

Have you ever had a conversation like this without understanding what specifically was being discussed? How about finding yourself in an argument or argument completely lost and frustrated, but at the same time carrying on as if everything is going smoothly? Ernest Hemingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants" illustrates the relationship of a couple who cannot communicate with each other effectively. Hemingway incorporates the use of character to develop the theme of communication. Readers are initially introduced to a couple conversing in a public space during a moment of crisis in their relationship. The author's pragmatic approach to the characters' point of view was a technique that allowed the tension between the couple to take distance from the story. This technique portrays the difficulty of interaction and understanding between the two characters. Hemingway's aim was to leave his readers guessing through a profound interpretation of the text. We, as readers, are forced to understand why and what they are trying to say during this frustrating and unstable discussion. Distance and the lack of successful communication between a couple waiting to board a train to Madrid are very similar to two parallel things. railroad tracks that will never come into contact. The story begins with an introduction of the characters and the limited information we receive about them as the author describes them as “The American and the Girl” (120). Hemingway does an amazing job of creating a vague setting and lifeless atmosphere throughout the entire story. Consequently, Hemingway's aim is for the audience to feel the isolation between the couple to the point that the audience also feels... middle of paper... Jig could have responded that the operation is not the one she had in mind. mind and so I will keep this baby. Such an exchange is the normal and correct way to really let your partner know how you feel. Therefore, I believe that the art of this particular fictional writing teaches us to always be truly happy with ourselves to the extent that we can happily make our own decisions. Furthermore, trust is vital to overcome the power of suggestion in life. It can be helpful to always be open to suggestions, but the moment sincere advice instead turns into a suggestion based on self-interest, like the one we witness in “Hills Like White Elephants,” the purpose of assistance is defeated. One rule in life that I always like to abide by, and that I hope Jig can learn from, is the expression that we have complete control over our own destinies.