The Hills Have Eyes

The events in "Hills Like White Elephants" rang familiar to my ears. My wife and I are expecting our first child, and although my wife and I never had a conversation like the man and woman did in the story, the anxiety of expecting a child, or even being in a serious relationship, is all too real. Any argument a couple has can be tense, but throw in a baby and things get complicated. Hemingway is successful in creating that anxiety through a unique, dialogue-based story and complex characters.




It’s not often that a short story contains a lot of dialogue, but “Hills” is made up almost entirely of it. This creates not only a more realistic and dynamic story, but one that is more personal. It’s almost as if Hemingway had this conversation himself at some point of his life. The conversation garners sympathy for the couple, but with those readers with more conservative views, it also causes a bit of contempt as well. This juxtaposition of sympathy and contempt, causes some readers, like myself, to feel conflicted and unsure in how we feel about the situation.




It would help if the characters were more sure in their life decisions, but they are just as conflicted as the readers are. The woman wants to prove her love for the man, but also knows that he isn’t too keen on the baby. He doesn’t want her to do anything she doesn't want to do, but he just wants them to be alone together. Whether you believe that their objectives and tactics are ethical or not, it is upsetting to read because no matter what decision is reached someone will get what they want and the other won't be as lucky.




Win/lose situations are abound in this story, which makes it interesting, but ultimately upsetting. It does however make me more aware about how I can sometimes orchestrate situations like that in my real-life relationships and that I need to be more empathetic to those around me, because all negotiations should be win/win if we can help it.