Thoughts: "Hills Like White Elephants" by Ernest Hemingway

"I think it's the best thing to do.
But I don't want you
to do it if you don't really want to."

It is said by many to be a story regarding abortion. I say, regardless, it may also be about something else. A short story by Ernest Hemingway, "Hills Like White Elephant" is written and tells a dialogue of an American and a girl in the late 1920s.

The story happened on a scorching hot day in a lone train station in Spain, near the Ebro River valley.The air was dry. The American, with him a girl whom he addresses "Jig", went to the bar nearby and grabbed them something to drink, two cold beers. They awaited the train that will take them to Madrid. A long dialogue occupied almost their whole time at the bar, drinking, talking, waiting. From trying new beers to the girl admiring the white hills at far, comparing it to white elephants, their conversation mentioned in a sudden something about an operation, an "awfully simple operation" as the American had described it. The two of them were not mutually decided on the matter, the girl especially, trying to reasonably argue it still; the American was quite persuasive on the matter at discussion. After a while, the girl quite reconsidered to do it. However, the American made sure it was a sound and a sane decision of hers, and not one that is due to his persuasion; a show of bit reluctance and intent for a guilt-free escapó. The girl attempted to drop the subject, and she was able to do so, indeed, with insistence and lots of pleases. They continued to drink their beers. News came that the train will arrive in five minutes, so the American left and carried their bags to the platform. Back to the bar, where everyone else, too, was waiting for the train, still reasonably, he asked the girl if she feels better. "I feel fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I feel fine," answered the girl, smiling.

The "operation" that was mentioned in the story may indeed be really meaning to abortion; as some of the parts of the dialogue have provided some strong support to it. But, without prior limitation of whatever right interpretation or apprehension, the word "operation" could and may have also meant something else, but just of quite the same nature.

Operations can either assure a patient of a sound recovery or of an unfortunate relapse of a condition. Whichever, at the end of it, becomes assured, the life of the patient is certainly changed from then on. For this reason, the "operation" in the story could and may generally mean the life-changing decisions, in which getting or not an abortion rightly falls under, people come to face at least once in their lives; important times when there is not much choices to choose from, just yes or no, or go on or get back. Or, in the case of the story, it was just between "get on the train" or "stay at the bar". A sense of urgency is ever-present, for Time pauses for no one and wait; and these choices, as well, are to come, be in anticipation or be in utter surprise, yet are not to stay long but shall pass on soon enough just as the train be in arrival in minutes and certainly shall leave in no time, then one shall miss it for certain. 

However man acts on these times, may he be as dismissive as the American have perceived white elephants to be, yes, special and of precious value yet of no use at all, or may she be as tending as the girl have had, so as to have been able to admire the loveliness of the mountains as that of the loveliness of white elephants, only man decides and acts on them; for it shall not be of another's life his or her decision will alter, but of man's own and only life.