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Introduction
Life has many turning moments that make people realize that there are on the wrong path, and that allows them to change their lives for the better. “Hills Like White Elephants” written by E. Hemingway and “The Story of an Hour” by K. Chopin both tell stories of such moments in the lives of couples. The main characters are women who need to overcome harsh events: one needs to decide whether to have an abortion or not, the other learns about her heart disease and the death of her husband. Women are presented as weak, subordinate to men, and unable to make decisions because their partners always control them and tell them what to do. This paper will compare the themes of weaknesses of human nature, life and death, relationships based on similarities that both characters of stories have, and how women’s behavior changes when not being dependent on men.
Differences Between the Stories
“Hills Like White Elephants” tells about Jig and her partner, the American. Jig finds out that she is pregnant, and the American manipulates her into having an abortion. The story pictures Jig as being abused and subordinate to her partner, who clearly states that he does not want her to have a baby and wants Jig to get rid of the unborn child. As opposed to Hemingway’s story, Mrs. Mallard finds out that her husband was killed in a train crash (Chopin, p. 59). She feels relief rather than grief because her husband was controlling her life.
The American implies that the only way Jig can keep the relationship with her partner is to have an abortion and get back to life before pregnancy. He tells Jig, “It’s an awfully simple operation, Jig. We’ll be fine afterward. Just like we were before… I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to” (Hemingway, pp. 213-214). The words of the American suggest that Jig does not make decisions on her own; she is inferior to the man who holds a superior position. When Mrs. Mallard realizes that her husband will not come back home anymore, Mrs. Mallard whispers, “Free! Body and soul free!” (Chopin, p. 60), which suggests that she was waiting for her freedom. In contrast to Jig, who follows the will of the American blindly, Mrs. Mallard wants to get rid of her husband’s pressure, and she had this desire long before the news about her partner’s death came.
Talking about characters’ dependency, one can state that the partner has always told Jig what to do, but now she decides that she needs freedom. His repeating conversations about having an abortion make the woman understand her partner is selfish and only cares about himself. After realizing that she is alone in her life despite having a partner, If Jig follows the decision of the American, she might never have her will back as “once they take it away, you never get it back” (Hemingway, p. 214). Having a baby and making a choice of not having an abortion symbolizes the freedom and opportunity to pursue a will that Jig has not had before due to her subordinate position.
Jig re-evaluates her previous experience; she understands that the ability to make a choice and control her own life is what constitutes freedom. Whereas Mrs. Mallard perceives “freedom” and “life” as equal terms, but she is unable to address the behavior of her husband. “When she abandoned herself, a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath, “Free, free, free!” (Chopin, p. 60). Mrs. Mallard was dreaming about free life that would be vivid and joyful; however, it was not meant to be for her.
Jig needs a symbol of her own will and decision as she was always under pressure from her partner without an opportunity to express herself. A baby could signify her rebellion against the partner and her fight against the perception of women as being weak. Jig takes control over the situation, does not rely on the man, and says consciously to the American to stop talking (Hemingway, p. 214). Consequently, Jig gets rid of the American, who is talking only about his desires, and his will, and now she can create her own fulfilling life.
After the revelation of the death, Mallard’s husband appears at the door, and she understands that the pressure will come back; her weak heart stops beating, and she dies. In contrast to Mrs. Mallars, Jig is suffering from manipulation but has the freedom to leave her partner because they are not married. On the opposite, Mrs. Mallard is oppressed by her husband but stays obedient to save the family.
Narratives of “Hills Like White Elephants” and “The Story of an Hour” illustrate the themes of women’s weaknesses and perception of them as not valuable enough to have independent lives. However, Jig accepts the suggestion to have an abortion, and one might claim that she stays with her partner because of her fear that he can leave her. Conversely, Mrs. Ballard dies because of the shock from her husband’s return, and it might be stated that she, in contrast to Jig, cannot stand her partner anymore.
Similarities Between the Stories
The similarities can be found between Jig and a character from “The Story of an Hour”, Mrs. Mallard, who is also insecure about her marriage and relationship. Chopin describes Mallard’s married life by telling the following, “There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature” (p. 60). Her husband controls her life, and she has been negatively affected by his authoritative behavior.
Hemingway and Chopin use symbolism to express specific features that define the narratives. On the one hand, “white elephants” that appear in the quote of Jig symbolize the expensive burden that is hard to maintain that prevents a couple from living free life from the view of Americans. The “white elephant” is the unborn child that would hinder the experience of the American and Jig if she would decide to keep a child (Hemingway, p. 213). On the other hand, “open window” that is drawn in “The Story of an Hour” symbolizes the freedom that is waiting for Mrs. Mallard when her husband dies. Mrs. Mallard is sitting in “a comfortable, roomy armchair” that depicts the rest from the despotic marriage from which she cannot escape (Chopin, p. 60). The authors capture a unique sense of freedom that only women who experienced oppressive and abusive relationships may have by creating a metaphoric comparison.
One can also state that there is an autobiographical line in each story. Chopin that was a feminist in her life (Contreras) and wanted to picture a character that does not depend on her feminine weaknesses, portrays Mrs. Ballard as a strong woman who is not afraid of death. Hemingway who was known to be a women’s lover (Nicol), in contrast, shows a masculine mindset by illustrating the thoughts and phrases of the American who is trying to underestimate the consequences associated with an abortion by saying, “It’s an awfully simple operation, Jig” (Hemingway, p. 213). Feminine and masculine mentality clash in the narratives to suggest women that should have freedom.
Both women are unwilling to deal with conflicts they have with partners during their relationship and cannot face the issues without fear. The plots indicate that the social role of the female gender at the time when Chopin and Hemingway wrote stories was inferior to males and dependent on men. Nevertheless, either story implied the necessity to give women freedom. It foresaw the evolution of women’s positions in society and the development of new patterns when women are given more independence and opportunities to make decisions about their lives.
Conclusion
Women can embrace their freedom and change their lives by escaping from the men that do not deserve them. These harsh changes that women go through help them realize their ability to be on their own, have the freedom and choose their paths without depending on men’s decisions. Both stories show turning moments in life that give their characters a perspective of themselves and the opportunity to look at their lives from a different angle. They may seem weak due to their unhealthy relationships; however, they have inner power and will.
References
Chopin, Kate. “The Story of an Hour.” Literature: A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed., edited by Janet E. Gardner, Beverly Lawn, Jack Ridl, and Peter Schakel, Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2013, pp. 59-61.
Contreras, Deb. “Feminist View of Kate Chopin’s ‘The Story of an Hour’.” Owlcation, 2018.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” Literature: A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed., edited by Janet E. Gardner, Beverly Lawn, Jack Ridl, and Peter Schakel, Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2013, pp. 213-214.
Nicol, Patricia. “For Whom the Wedding Bell tolls: Four Marriages and Endless Mistresses… How did the Women in Ernest Hemingway’s Life put up with Him?” Daily Mail, 2014.
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