“Hills Like White Elephants”英文读后感

“HillsLikeWhiteElephants”英文读后感

“HillsLikeWhiteElephants”,oneofHemingwaysterrificworks,isastorythathappensatatrainstationintheEbroRivervalleyofSpain.AnAmericanandhisgirlfriendaredrinkingbeersandhavingaconversationwhentheyarewaitingforthetrain.Inthedialogue,theyoungmansattemptofconvincingthegirlJigtotakeanoperationhascausedalotofarguments.Thoughtheyarenotexplicitaboutwhatthisoperationreallyis,Iconsiderthisoperationanabortion.

Theconversationbetweenthemsuggeststhattheyaretalkingaboutanabortion.Inthetext,themansaysitisanawfullysimpleoperationand“itisjusttolettheairin”(Hemingway,373).“Tolettheairin”isaprocessofvacuumaspirationinAmericainthe1920s,whichiscommonlyusedasamethodofinducedabortion.Whatismore,intheirargument,Jigsays,“Oncetheytakeitaway,younevergetitback”(Hemingway,374).Themanalsomakesitclearthathedoesnotwantanyoneelsebuther.Andthisstatementindicatesathirdpersonisinvolved.Whatcouldbethethingtakenawayinanoperationthatyoumaystillwantitback?Whocouldcometogetintheirlifeifthegirldoesnottaketheoperation?Allwecancomeupwithisababy.Themandoesnotwantababybeforetheysettledown,beforeheisreadytotaketheresponsibilityofraisingafamily.AndJigisstillstrugglingaboutwhethertotakethisoperationornotintheirdebates.Sothisisanoperationtotaketheunexpectedbabyaway---abortion.

Sceneriesbetweenthetwolinesoftherailsarealsoindicationsoftheirtwodifferentchoicesinpregnancy.Ononeside,thereisnoshadeandnotreesbutonlybarrenlandstretchingtowardthehills.Ontheotherside,thelandiscoveredwithgreen,fertilefieldsandriver.Barrenisusedtodescribeawomanwhoisunabletoproducechildrenwhilefertilerepresentsfemalescapabilityofproducingbabies.IfJigagreestotaketheoperation,thenthebabywillnolongerexistandthusmakingherbarren.Butifshechoosesnotto,thenshewillbeconsiderasafertilewomanwhoisabletoproducebabies.Thatistosaythetwototallyoppositeviewssymbolizetheirdilemmaofthepregnancy---infertileorfecund,undergotheabortionornot.

Thetitleofthisstoryitselfisametaphorimplyingthisisanabortion.Whiteelephantdenotessomethingthatiscompletelyburdensome,althoughitmaybepreciousenough.Andhereinthistext,thewhiteelephantisthesymbolofababyvaluablebuttroublesome.Thereisnodoubtthatthebabyisatreasure.Butthefactisthattheyareayoungcoupletravelingaroundtheworldwithoutaplacetosettledown.Theyhaveneitherenoughtimenorenergytotakecareofababy.Eveniftheydonthavetoworryaboutthosematerialconditions,theyarenotpsychologicallyreadyyet.Problemslike“requirementsofbeingqualifiedparents”hasneveroccurredintheirminds.Basedonbothphysicalandpsychologycircumstancesoftheyoungcouple,wecanseethatthebabyispreciousbutalsoaburden.Hencethewhiteelephanthereisanintimationofanabortion.

Thephrase“tolettheairin”makesitquiteclearthatthisisanabortion.Andduringtheirdebates,wecangettoknowsomeoneisinvolvedinthisyoungcoupleandtheAmericanistryingtogetawayfromthisthirdpersonbyrequestingJigtotaketheoperation.Furthermore,thetwodifferentlandscapesonthetwosidesoftherailsisalsoforeshadowingustheoutcomeofJigschoice.Takeit,sheisbarren.Reject,fertile.Andthewhiteelephantbecomesemblematicofababythatcouldbeasweetburdenintheirlife.Thissymbolstrengthentheoperationthathasbeentalkedaboutinthewholestoryisanabortion.Withallthesefactorsintegratedtogether,wecanconcludethisisanabortion.