DQ 1 - Tuesday 6/27
Hi all,
DQ1 questions (two questions, at least 100-150 words total) can be based on "Hills Like White Elephants" found in the course library, as well as any of the Hemingway Short Stories also in the Course Library, or the first 40 pages of The Sun Also Rises which is due by tomorrow (after tonight, the remaining DQs for the week will be on The Sun Also Rises).
Just click on Post Comment and leave your name.
Please see the syllabus for guidelines and suggestions for DQs before you post your first question. Looking forward to having a class discussion on your questions tomorrow.
DQ1 questions (two questions, at least 100-150 words total) can be based on "Hills Like White Elephants" found in the course library, as well as any of the Hemingway Short Stories also in the Course Library, or the first 40 pages of The Sun Also Rises which is due by tomorrow (after tonight, the remaining DQs for the week will be on The Sun Also Rises).
Just click on Post Comment and leave your name.
Please see the syllabus for guidelines and suggestions for DQs before you post your first question. Looking forward to having a class discussion on your questions tomorrow.
Ethan Vaughan 6/26
ReplyDelete1. What is the reasoning for Hemingway omitting the word abortion from the short story Hills Like White Elephants? Is it because the story was written in 1927 when abortions were still frowned upon by a large part of society or is it simply a stylistic element utilized by Hemingway to make his writing more intriguing and require his readers to decipher the deeper meaning?
2. I thought it was very interesting that Hemingway seemed to isolate the man and the woman from the rest of the crowd that was waiting for the train. Does he do this simply because the man and the woman are having such a serious discussion and are therefore extremely different from the rest of the crowd that are likely engaging in menial tasks to pass time or is there another reason?
Brieanna Graves
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
When we were discussing the meaning behind the story “Hills Like White Elephants” By Ernest Hemingway a few questions came to mind and I felt I would understand the meaning behind it if they were answered. My first question is during the story she repeats they can have everything and do everything do they feel as if they can’t keep the child and still have a life? What is stopping them from being able to keep the child and still have everything. My second question is at the time when Hemingway wrote this short story was it normal for females to have abortions without thought? With that being said, since Hemingway is a male do you feel as if he is more sympathetic towards the male in this relationship and feels it is best for them to not have the child.
Isabeau Cordes 06/26
ReplyDelete1. In reading Hills Like White Elephants the first time I did not pick up on the fact that the man and woman were discussing her having an abortion, due to the lack of detail in the story. Is this what Hemingway intended when writing the short story? Was the whole purpose to make readers read in between the lines of dialogue instead of relying on description? In everything I have ever read by Hemingway the text is very dialogue heavy and lacks details, so I feel as though his writing is intended to make the reader think harder and interpret the dialogue.
2. Are the travel plans of the man and woman significant? They are waiting on a train, and their bags are covered in labels from all the hotels they have stayed in. Is all the traveling showing how they are running away from their problem of the woman being pregnant? Having already read The Sun Also Rises the idea of using travel as a form of escapism seems like a recurring theme in Hemingway’s writings.
Kylie Rodriguez
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
After pondering the short story we read, I came up with a question relating to the title. The title can sometimes give an idea about the short story or novel that we read, but why does the title contain "White Elephant"? Could it be that Hemingway made that the title since a white elephant is a possession that is too burdensome to bare and that's relating to her abortion? Maybe even that there's an "elephant in the room" meaning that there is an awkward topic that should be brought up that neither want to speak about.
My second question is what is the nature of their relationship? The short story doesn't explain too much about the couple and whether or not they've known each other for a while or anything of that sort. So, have they met fairly recently or have they been together/known each other for a long time?
Daniella Alamo
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
In the story Hills Like White Elephants the two main characters are discussing whether or not the women should get an abortion. The women questions the man on what they will do after the operation and he responds by saying they will be fine and continue their relationship like normal. Although the man states that he loves her on many occasions it's never mentioned whether they are in a relationship or marriage. Does the women worry about the future because they are not in a marriage? Does she feel the need to agree to the abortion in hopes that the man will continue to be with her and continue their relationship like the man promised?
The story revolves around abortion. What was Hemingway's reasoning for writing the story? Was it because in 1927, when the story was written, abortion wasn’t discussed and Hemingway wanted to bring the topic out in the open?
Thomas Saunders 6/26
ReplyDeleteIn class we discussed objective correlative, the connection between the setting and action of the story. In this case, what is the connection between the characters’ abortion discussion and the hills looking like white elephants? The man points out that the hills look similar to white elephants at which point the woman teases him for having not seen such animals before in real life. I can’t imagine that piece of the dialogue is irrelevant to the story, especially considering the story itself has it’s name derive from it. That being said, I’m not sure what the hills’ analogy pertains to.
The primary conflict in this story was the disagreement between a man and woman over whether or not the woman should get an abortion. In today's society, abortion is a popular topic of discussion as to whether it is right or wrong. Considering the time period that this was written in it should be safe to assume that society was less progressive and overall more conservative. With that in mind, which character from the story will ultimately be making the decision. Does this period in time allow for a man to have final say over a woman’s choice to bear a child?
Kevin Driggs 6/26
ReplyDeleteWhen we were talking in class about the hidden message of abortion why does the woman say she sees white elephants in the hills and the man doesn't say that he's ever seen a white elephant? Does this imply the baby in the future being the "white elephant" that the woman sees? This could make sense since she sees it in the distance and the man says he's never seen one. The woman then agrees with the man saying that he wouldn't have seen a white elephant, and is that because he doesn't want himself to see the elephant (the child) or because she knows he will win the argument and she knows there is an abortion coming in the future and there is no point into trying to make him see the white elephant.
The second question is how much does the women actually care about having the child? In the story it is mentioned several times that she doesn't care about herself and the man says he does, but she just repeats that she doesn't. Does this mean that the woman thinks that she doesn't have power over her decision and the man does or does she really not mind having the operation done?
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ReplyDeleteKeagan Giblin
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
In Ernest Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants, a man and a woman have a conversation about whether the woman should have an abortion. However, the couple does not seem to communicate clearly with one another. An outsider eavesdropping on this conversation would most likely not understand what the two are arguing about. Due to this lack of communication, what was the solution to the problem? Will the woman have the operation or not? Does Hemingway purposely leave the conclusion up for interpretation?
In the 1920s it was seen as socially unacceptable and wrong for a couple to have a baby and not be married. The man in the story could have been encouraging the abortion because he did not want to be shamed by his family or get married. If this is true, do you think that society has moved away from this judgment? If so is there something else that is looked down upon even more?
Isaac Bendus
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
While reading the story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway it left me with two questions, the first was why the man in the story was so adamant about the abortion being a natural thing, that their lives would be fine, and that there would be no complications what so ever. Did the man say these things because he does not want to be financially responsible for a child and/ or does he not want to spend the time raising the kid?
The second question from the story is about why these people are so worried/ bothered about having a child together? Are these people not romantically involved with each other? Are they too young? Are they too poor? I understand that having a child is a big responsibility both mentally and financially, but isn’t the point of life to get married and have children?
In the first five chapters of the sun also rises, Hemingway introduces some of the characters through the the first-person view of Jake, who works for newspaper in Paris. I really enjoy first-person books such as this, because they address the personal problems tackled by the character who's view we see from just like we would in our own mind. In the introductions and discussions given by Jake, Hemingway shows us many things without straight up telling them to us, I believe he leaves it for us to figure out and that is what makes First-Person so powerful, because that is what we do with our own problems in our own lives. My two questions are two of these things I believe Hemingway has intentionally left for us to figure out ourselves.
ReplyDelete1) Cohn states that Jake is his best friend and shows that he relies on Jake, even if Jake wont admit it, do you believe he is just as reliant on Cohn?
2) What happened between Jake and Brett? and even though they obviously feel for each other, is their relationship positive or negative towards each other?
Carolyn Collins
ReplyDelete6/26/17
1. In the beginning of the story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, the girl said that the hills looked like white elephants. However, she later recants her statement to say that the hills actually don’t look like white elephants and calls the hills “lovely”. Are the hills a metaphor for her unborn child, in which she changes her mind about having an abortion and wants to keep the baby?
2. Although it was not clearly expressed, the man and the girl were discussing whether or not the girl should get an abortion. The man wanted her to get one, but the girl seemed unsure. My question is, did the girl end up getting an abortion or not? There was an abundant amount of miscommunication between the couple, so it was hard to tell how they truly felt.
Kevin Clifford
ReplyDeleteJune 26th, 2017
1. When reading the short story "Hills Like White Elephants" by Earnest Hemingway I noticed right at the end that she said "I feel fine" . It kind of ended abruptly to me, and we also know when a girl says I'm fine, she probably is not "feeling fine". I wonder if she has some built up anger, or is actually okay with the abortion?
2. My second question about this short story is why do they not mention the abortion directly at all. I feel like it could have been omitted because it is not something people liked to talk about at the time. I honestly did not understand what they were talking about at first when I read it, and did people at the time know what he was talking about?
Tyler Crane
ReplyDeleteJune 66 2017
1. The short story Hills Like White Elephants was written by Ernest Hemingway in 1927. During the time period in which it was written abortion was considered illegal in Spain, as the country followed traditional Catholic ideals (http://vccslitonline.vccs.edu/copy_of_hills/symbolism.htm). This piece of information is vital to analyzing the short story and helps prose the questions: How does the time period in which Hemingway`s short story, Hills Like White Elephants alter/influence the readers perspective? Does knowing that it was published in 1927 change the way you feel about the story?
2. Writers often use literary techniques to influence their reader’s perspectives. One popular technique is for writers to use generic descriptions like “the girl” and “the man” when describing their characters. This universal description of characters allows for the short story to relate to all readers. To what extent does Hemingway write generically/universally in Hills like White Elephants in order to make the short story relatable to his readers?
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ReplyDeleteQuestion one : the first question I have for todays discussion would have to be this : are there any other underlying conflicts between the man in the woman that could have caused the seemingly ‘’ salty’’ conversation taking place in the beginning of the novel or, is it entirely due to the fact that the man doest want her to have the baby and is asking for an abortion, even though it seems that the woman would like to keep the child
ReplyDeleteQuestion two: the second question i have for todays discussion would be this; will the seemingly tense behavior between the man and the woman continue throughout the course of the novel and play a role later on or, was the tension just a temporary thing due to the circumstances at hand, being the fact that the poor lady has to choose whether or not the wants to kill her baby.
Lauren Fiorito
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
Hemingway refers to the people at the bar as "man" and "girl" but the bartender as "women." Does this mean that she is a lot younger than the man and that could be one of the reasons why he wants her to have an abortion? During the short story he talks down to the girl a lot and she looks up to him for advice in a child-like manner instead of a mutual relationship like a couple would be.
Does this have to do with Hemingway's life at all? It is such a specific location that the setting takes place in, and of all things he mentions "white elephants." The objective correlative doesn't really exist in this short story which makes me question if this happened to him or someone he knew. Also, is this then his opinion on having kids? That without one you can have "everything" but with one, nothing?
In the sun also rises, Robert Cohn got with the first girl that was nice to him and she ultimately divorced him for another man. Cohn then married the next woman he met while working as an editor for a magazine. All of the men in the book seem to have issues with the women in their lives, is this a reoccurring theme in Mr. Hemingway books? In Hills like White Elephants the girl says “it taste like licorice… everything taste of licorice especially all the things you've waited so long for.” In the quote is the woman comparing having a child to the taste of licorice? She seems to really want a child but her partner is encouraging her to get an abortion.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKarina Amalbert
ReplyDeleteJune 26th, 2017
1. Setting seems to be a highly effective stylistic technique for Hemmingway in “Hills like White Elephants”. The short passage commences with the description of the sun’s rays causing the hills to appear as “white elephants” which immediately leads the reader to associate white with purity and elephants with family orientation yet, the female narrator states her drink taste of licorice. Could this opposition reflect back onto the female’s internal struggle to deduce whether or not to follow through with the abortion? Or could this light vs. dark theme reflect to the man already having an impact on her decision?
2. The short story takes place in Spain and includes short phrases of Spanish language. Could the underlying theme of man dominance reflect back to the objective correlative of native female Spaniards heritage to push aside their decisions to satisfy the males’ implications? Or could this reflect back to the “lost generations” pride to rebel against the decisions being made during that era?
Cornelia Torres-Hamlin
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
In "Hills Like White Elephants," Hemingway does two things stylistically I think make the reader question the timing which the story takes place and also the moral nature of the situation:
1. The couple keeps repeating that the procedure will be "simple." Not only does this speak to the gravity of the situation, as well as the need for so many to rationalize things in their head. Do you think the couple is doing this to lessen the burden of the operation that the couple now faces to society? Or is it more about the pain that the procedure will have on her body? If something were in fact as simple as they say, it would be known and not have be repeated over and over again. Almost as though they are trying to convince themselves.
2. Hemingway decides not to name his characters. Rather he simply refers to their gender and that is it. It almost allows the reader to not create a personal relationship with the characters. Do you believe this has to do with the moral views of some readers and Hemingway not trying to really the stir the pot? Or was Hemingway purposefully trying to narrate the severities of abortion through light, less personable reading? If so, this might say more about Hemingway's views on abortion then his audience's.
Anthony Duarte
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
In Ernest Hemingway’s "Hills Like White Elephants”, it seems as if the white elephants that the woman sees are the hope of having the child while the man not seeing the elephants is his lack of ability to view a child in his life. Therefore, the man is in favor of the abortion. However, the woman is having an internal crisis which begs the question of how much does she actually want to have the child? She then retracts her observation by saying that the hills don't actually look like white elephants as if her want for a baby slowly fades away by starting to follow what the man said.
The woman in this short story seems as if she wants to keep the baby and is on the baby’s side but as you go on you wonder whether she actually wants the baby or just wants to make the man happy? She seems like she is more concerned over the happiness and well being of the man then of her baby and her own happiness. It is proven as soon as she said “I don't care about me”. She then goes on to say that she’ll do it if everything will be fine afterwards.
Destiny Day
ReplyDelete6/26/2017
1. In Hills like White Elephants, one of the things that seems strange is that he avoids using the term abortion and instead refers to it as a “simply perfect operation.” Although the phrase “simply perfect operation” is not an adverb, Hemingway made the point that he did not like adverbs in his writings because he viewed them as unnecessary, but the phrase above seems unnecessary, especially for the amount of times it is used. If he didn’t want to have a lot of unnecessary information, then why did he not just come straight out and call it an abortion instead of having the man and woman talk about it until it became redundant?
2. Why does Hemingway write a short story about an abortion in 1927? It is kind of weird that he chooses to write about a problem way ahead of his time. Hemingway was obviously a part of the “Lost Generation” which means there were many other conflicts at the time.
Olivia Longshore
ReplyDelete1. In “Hills White Like Elephants”, why does Hemingway avoid explicitly telling the reader what the man and woman are discussing in the bar? The woman keeps insinuating that she feels fine; however, the husband keeps insisting that the wife should make the “reasonable” decision because it is “perfectly simple”. Is this because abortions were a social taboo during the setting of the 1920’s, or because Hemingway wanted to stick to his stylistically efficient way of writing, or both?
2. Hemingway’s efficient style of writing excludes the use of adjectives and adverbs. Why does Hemingway exclude using these “fluffers” that the authors of his time often utilized. Could it be because it leaves Hemingway more room to write truthful sentences? Or maybe due to Hemingway being a part of the lost generation, could it be a way to embrace a harsher truth/reality and get straight to the point?
Jesse Spear
ReplyDelete6/26/17
If one of the main things with Hemingway is to remove or not include any superfluous or unneeded details then why does he the sun also rises go into the story about Robert Cohn and his experience in Princeton university and how he was the middle weight champion in wrestling, had his nose smashed in and trained under Spider Kelly while there. the entire story adds very little to the character and seems almost ill relevant to the over all story, And if the story does come to tie into something important later why place it at the very beginning where it flows verrry strangely into the next segment.
1. The man and the woman appear to be happy with each other, except for the idea of having the child. The woman says that " if I do it you'll be happy and things will be like they were and you'll love me?" Are the man and the woman actually in love with each other as much as they say they are, or do they say it just to convince the other.
ReplyDelete2. The man says that You know how I get when I worry." Do you believe that the man wants to have an abortion because he is worried that baby will take away his time with the woman?
Kayla Camarillo
ReplyDeleteJune 26, 2017
1. One question I have from our class discussion today is if Hemingway had a reason behind why Hills Like White Elephants was about abortion? I'm wondering if something that was going on his life related to the topic of abortion. Did it maybe have to do with the year he wrote this short story in? I know we talked about the meaning in class but I was still curious to why he would write on this specific to why he would write on this specific topic. Maybe someone he knew was going through a difficult situation like the one he describes is happening.
2. My second question I have is why Hemingway gives little to no detail on what is going on throughout the short story? Is it because that is just they type of writer he is? It seems like he wants the reader to figure out on his or her own what is going on and why.
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ReplyDeleteSean Butler
ReplyDeleteHemingway seems to introduce us to the characters very indirectly, as he did when we were introduced to Robert when he came into Jake's office. He never gave the readers any to the point descriptions or any detail about their way of life, and instead gives the readers an opportunity to find out themselves. He does this by making the readers use their minds and put together certain pieces of information to help them better understand each characters personalities. What I question is why Hemingway would start the novel this way. To get the readers more involved? Or possibly to have a certain effect on the reader that might mean something later in the novel? Also, why does Robert always fall in love with the first girl that is nice to him? Could this possibly mean that he has secret insecurities?
Parker Mealey
ReplyDelete06/27
1. Why does Robert Cohn stick around with Frances when the relationship is so backwards and one sided? Robert seems to be in shape, young, attractive to women, and also has written a fairly successful book. One would think that even though he is shy, he would find a way to get past that after 34 years of experience. Is there something about his past that has forced him to be this way regarding women?
2. What was the book about that Robert Cohn wrote? He seems to have made a good amount of money on it so it must have been fairly successful. Why does Hemingway omit this detail that could be considered important? Knowing what the book was about would provide a lot of insight to the character (Cohn)
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ReplyDeleteParker Mealey
ReplyDelete06/26 (resubmission)
1. What is the meaning of the title "Hills Like White Elephants"? The title is said one or two times in the story, but the significance of the name is never explained. Usually the title of a book has a specific meaning, and many different interpretations could be made.
2. Why does the woman randomly lose her temper? The two are communicating with each other in a civil manner, until the woman says "Please Please Please stop" and "ill scream." Her temper seems to flair at this time almost out of no where. What causes this escalation of the conflict to happen?