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Gabrielle Abel
Professor Lago
English 1500
2 May 2014
From a Womans Perspective
Ever find yourself arguing with a person about a book, television show, or maybe just
your opinion on something in general? We are all critics. We share what we like, what we
dislike not realizing someone else could be thinking the complete opposite. Every single person
is entitled to his or her own thoughts and opinions. I may enjoy a piece of reading so much,
while my best friend could think it is complete garbage. There are many critical approaches a
person can use when analyzing literature. For example, a person can analyze literature using a
feminist focus, race, culture or psychological approach. When analyzing these short stories
Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
I analyzed these stories using a feminist approach. When analyzing literature using a feminist
approach, a person is looking to see how men and women are portrayed throughout a story.
Men and women have different ways of expressing their emotions that might not come across as
being what the opposite sex thinks of it.
When analyzing a piece of literature using a gender approach, try looking for sexual
identity, the roles males and females play, and the way a relationship between two sexes takes a
toll on the reading. Hills like White Elephants was a difficult short fiction to analyze because
the story had a hidden message. A young girl is put in a situation to almost choose a new life or
continue with her old one. Its almost as if she chooses the old life instead of losing the love of
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her life. And you think well be right and happy. I know we will (Hemingway 278). Shes so
in love and doesnt want to jeopardize her relationship, but at the same time having a baby seems
so much to her. In the end she only wants them to be happy together. Its not the male acting as
if hes careless; he just wants whats best for the both of them.
As females, we dont always see eye to eye with the opposite sex. Many things a female
sees, a male wont because we are look from two different perspectives. A man will always be
looked at as the dominant figure no matter how wrong or right he is. Men are manipulative; they
will tell what we want to hear instead of what we need to hear. Hills like White Elephants
shows how a man can easily make a woman feel as if she needs him. I dont care about me.
Well I care about you. Oh yes. But I dont care about me. And Ill do it and then everything
will be fine (Hemingway 277). What is she supposed to do at this point? She has the option of
changing her life or losing the love of her life. Its almost as if he gives her an ultimatum. You
choose between bring a child into the world or possibly losing your partner forever. If a guy
really cares, he would never put you through anything you are unsure about.
Men will always be looked at a certain way through a feminist eye. We have in our mind
that men are no good, but really it could be the complete opposite. The man in Hills like White
Elephants could be looked at as a jerk by his actions throughout the reading. Men often get
portrayed as the bad guy. After reading Hills like White Elephants a female could have
possibly called him a jerk for forcing the decision upon her. I dont care about myself. Well, I
care about you. Oh, yes. But I dont care about me. And Ill do it and everything will be fine
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(Hemingway 277). He states that he clearly cares about this young woman and only wants the
best for her. But its hard for a female to understand that because we already have this image of
men pictured in our minds already.
Ever just sit down and read a piece of literature, and wonder how the title relates
to everything you just read. The first thing you read is the title, and from there your analysis
begins. Hills like White Elephants is a title that raises many questions. What is a white
elephant, or do they even exist? A white elephant is a rare elephant that someone will probably
never see. During this time period I believe men and women who had children before marriage
werent accepted by society. Its really an awfully simply operation, Jig the man said. Its not
really an operation at all (Hemingway 277). The guy wanted his girlfriend to get an abortion
because he was afraid of what everyone else would think of him. I believe that is the reason why
the story is called Hills like White Elephants because white elephants isnt something you see
everyday, like two people who arent married producing a baby.
Women were always viewed as weak individuals, while the males were always looked at
as the superior ones. Its not that females are physically weak, but mentally weak. Males were
always given the upper hand in relationships. Would you do something for? Id do anything
for you. Would you please please please please please please please stop talking? (Hemingway
279). He belittles her so much, while she praises him; is willing to do anything for him. She
deserves much more respect than that. Women will give their complete all to one man, and
dont get enough in return. And yet she loved him-sometimes. Often she had not (Chopin
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237). Her all wasnt good enough for him, so she quit. She had been pushed to her breaking
point.
During a certain time period in the world women were only seen as house slaves. Men
went to work, while women stayed home and took care of the house. Times have changed; the
roles of men and women are different. Women are now independent individuals. She said it
over and over under her breath: free, free, free! (Chopin 236) She no longer wanted to be treated
as a housewife, she knew her worth and it was much more than a housewife. But in the
particular time period, woman needed a man since the man was the only one bringing income in
the house.
As times have progressed, women have changed; changed the way they think and how
they look at men. We live in male-oriented world (McMahan 1088), no matter how much a
woman can progress she will always be looked down upon by a male. As male and females may
express themselves, some of the things are taken differently in each others eyes. I analyzed
Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway and Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin
using a feminist approach. Identifying how the roles of males and females are portrayed
throughout the short stories, or how women express themselves. Feminists critics are able relate
their own experiences to how a female may feel in a story. There are even times were feminist
critics identifying the wrong women do in a story, which many people may not have seen.
Feminist critics are determined to change the world for all women not just in literature but the
actual universe.
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Works Cited
Brizee, Allen, and Tompkins, J. Case. Feminist Criticism. The Purdue Owl. Purdue U Writing
Lab (2010): February 24, 2014
Chopin, Kate. Story of an Hour. The Literature and Writing Process. Elizabeth McMahan.
Boston: Pearson, Tenth Edition. 2014
Hemingway, Ernest. Hills like White Elephants. The Literature and Writing Process. Elizabeth
McMahan. Boston: Pearson, Tenth Edition. 2014