Abortion

Hemmingway wrote “Hills Like White Elephants” during the height of the Roaring 20’s in America. The 1920’s were a time where many women across the globe demanded for equal rights. Many women in America rioted and staged protests demanding divorce and property rights (“The Women’s Rights Movement in the 1920s 1”). Although Hemmingway was traveling in Europe at the time, he was very aware of the news in the United States (“Ernest (Miller) Hemmingway”). He recognized that women desired independence and equality in both the government and in the household. In Canada, long-time women’s rights activist Emily Murphy ran for an office in the Senate and rewrote parts of the Canadian Constitution (“The Women’s Rights Movement in the 1920s 1”). In America, there was a strong emergence of highly rebellious and promiscuous women called the flappers (“The Women’s Rights Movement in the 1920s 2”). These flappers changed the nation’s view on women and indicated that women had finally made progress towards gaining independence in society (“The Women’s Rights Movement in the 1920s 2”). Women were no longer considered the property of men, but women still failed to receive complete equality on a social and political level. The promiscuity of the flappers leads to a skyrocketing number in criminal abortions. According to renowned writer Christina Dunigan, these “kitchen table” abortions were very dangerous and resulted in one out of five women suffering severe injury or death from such practices (Dunigan). Referring back to “Hills Like White Elephants”, the woman recognized these enormous risks and how the operation could be a life or death situation. Ernest Hemmingway realized the growth in women’s rights during the 1920s and integrated his knowledge of the time period into the story.

The gender roles have drastically changed since “Hills Like White Elephants” was written in the 1920s. Modern society still holds many aspects of the male-dominated culture of the early twentieth century. According to statistics only 50 percent of men accompany their sexual partners during the abortion (Michael Simon). Thus, indicating that the majority of men would place their own needs as more important than the needs of their partner during an abortion. Men still believe they are superior to women and display their arrogant nature by showing a nonchalant attitude towards women suffering through an abortion. Women in modern culture have experienced great strides towards equality with divorce rights and the legalization of abortion through Roe v Wade (1973). However, the basic principles of a male-dominated society still control the majority of our country today.

“Hills Like White Elephants” intends to simulate the gender roles of the 1920s through simple dialogue and complex symbolism. The gender roles are established by the man’s passive aggressive tone towards the women in an attempt to take control of the situation. The couple discusses the issue of abortion through dialogue and how the procedure would be necessary if the couple intends to continue their luxurious lifestyle. Through the symbolism, Hemmingway establishes the uncertainty that the woman has towards the risks of the operation. The 1920s were a changing time where women discovered new found independence through the nineteenth amendment. Although women’s rights have grown tremendously since the 1920s, women continue to struggle for equality in relationships as males continue to assert their dominance through physical and verbal means.