“Jig” is the name given to the girl in Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.” The American, her lover, calls her that toward the beginning of the story, but Hemingway refers to her as “the girl.” This infantile designation fits with Jig’s generally uncertain,
insecure, anxious, dependent personality
.
Is jig a dynamic character?
Static Character
: Jig; she can be considered a static character because she retains her same uncertain/slightly hostile air throughout the conversation.
Who is jig in the Hills Like White Elephants?
The girl is
the female companion of the story’s other main character, the man
. Unlike the man, the girl’s name (or nickname) is revealed to the reader when the man is imploring her to get an abortion. However, this is the only information we have as to her background.
What type of character is the girl in Hills Like White Elephants?
The Girl. The
female protagonist of the story
. The American calls the girl “Jig” at one point in the story but never mentions her real name. Unlike the American, the girl is less sure of what she wants and appears reluctant to have the operation in question.
What type of character is the American in Hills Like White Elephants?
Hemingway portrays the American as
a rugged man’s man
—knowledgeable, worldly, and always in control of himself and the situation at hand. Even when vexed or confused, he maintains his cool and feigns indifference, such as when he tells the girl he doesn’t care whether she has the operation.
What defines a jig?
1a :
any of several lively springy dances in triple rhythm
. b : music to which a jig may be danced. 2 : trick, game —used chiefly in the phrase the jig is up. 3a : any of several fishing devices that are jerked up and down or drawn through the water.
What are the symbols in Hills Like White Elephants?
- Barren/Fertile Land. As the story opens, we are introduced first and foremost to the setting’s barren landscape, which is described as “brown and dry,” with “no shade” and “no trees.” Yet while the story feels as though… …
- Light. …
- Alcohol. …
- The Train Station.
How does the girl feel in Hills Like White Elephants?
Throughout the story, the girl appears helpless, confused, and indecisive. …
She changes her mind about the attractiveness of the surrounding hills
, for example; claims to selflessly care only for the American; and seems uncertain about whether she wants to have the operation.
What is the main idea of Hills Like White Elephants?
At the heart of “Hills Like White Elephants” is
Hemingway’s examination of the man and girl’s deeply flawed relationship
, a relationship that champions “freedom” at the cost of honesty, respect, and commitment.
What is the point of view in Hills Like White Elephants?
Third Person
(Objective)
What literary devices are used in Hills Like White Elephants?
Hemingway’s work Hills Like White Elephants communicates several political viewpoints―such as abortion and nationalistic inferiority―and conveys conflict through the use of
imagery, symbolism, point-of-view, and setting
. In the beginning of the short passage, Hemingway presents multiple images to set the mood.
What is jig a nickname for?
Expert Answers
The jig is
a dance in Ireland
. Giving the girl the nickname of Jig may suggest that she is from Ireland and that she is, or has been, a lively, spirited girl, since the jig is an extremely lively dance. The girl may have performed this dance on more than…
What is the tone in Hills Like White Elephants?
In “Hills Like White Elephants,” the woman’s tone of communication is
chatty and whimsical
, whereas the man’s is brief and sharp, until later in the story, when he turns to the power of persuasion in the hope of convincing Jig to terminate her pregnancy.
Which character is more reasonable in Hills Like White Elephants?
Explain your answer.
The man
is the more reasonable out of the two because he is telling the girl many reasons why they cannot and should not have the baby but he does not say it in a manner that is disrespectful to the girl.
What time period is Hills Like White Elephants?
In
the early 1920s
, an American man and a girl, probably nineteen or twenty years old, are waiting at a Spanish railway station for the express train that will take them to Madrid.
Who is the antagonist in Hills Like White Elephants?
The American fits the “antagonist
” bill
—he’s manipulative, callous, and more than a little annoying. Plus, he’s stands in opposition to Jig and her desires: she wants to get married and have a baby, he wants her to get an abortion and for them to both stay single.
