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Comparing Jeremy And Hills Like White Elephants, By Ernest Hemmingway

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Jeremy and “the American” In the two essays “The Love of My Life” by T. Coraghessan Boyle, and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemmingway the common thread and theme is unwanted pregnancies. While the male characters of both essays have been given a similar trial their circumstances differ a great deal. These circumstances are key in assessing the actions taken by our characters. Otherwise, it would be far too easy to condemn Jeremy for having committed neonaticide. In “Hills Like White Elephants” Hemmingway gives very little information regarding the male character referred to as “the American”. What is left is an ambiguous means of interpreting him. This is likely because “the American” is an entirely fictional character created for a target audience to identify with. Hemmingway has created a man’s man with very simple motives. While the female character, Jig, is having thoughts of a family and future “the American” is clearly set on ridding himself of this problem and aborting the child they had conceived. Though “the American” makes a meager attempt at showing his affection for “the girl” she ultimately understands that he does not wish to preserve their relationship. “the …show more content…

On the other hand in Hemmingway’s story “Hills like White Elephants”, “the American” wanted nothing more than to rid himself of any possible commitments. Though these two men have been placed in similar dilemmas there are key differences that set the two apart. One major factor is that the female, Jig from Hemmingway’s story actually desires to have a family while China, the girl from Boyle’s story wishes to continue perusing her education without the burden of a child. Also “the American” seemed the be a worldly man of means capable of caring for a child while Jeremy was still a teen incapable of caring for himself alone much less a

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