In the story "Hills like white elephants", there is a continuous power struggle between the two characters. At first glance, the woman seems shy and resigned to fact that she will do whatever it takes to make the man happy. The man is seen as domineering and almost indifferent to the woman's feelings as he advocates for the American to abort the baby, he controls the decision whether Jig aborts or not. but through dialogue regarding abortion, the symbolism of hills versus mountains and railroad tracks and luggage, Jig gives subtle hints that he has already made up his mind to keep the baby. Say no to plagiarism on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Hemingway's use of dialogue between the two characters regarding the abortion procedure provides insight into the relationship dynamic and position of the characters. The American man begins the conversation by telling Jig how “terribly simple” an abortion is. This shows that he thinks she should do it and also how little he has thought about the operation and the impact it will have on her. Jig does not respond, which may be interpreted by the audience as a silent challenge to his comment. He continues to subtly try to persuade her by saying that he knows many people who have done this and that the baby will only make them unhappy, meanwhile she never gives him an answer, furthering the audience's belief that her position is that she doesn't want to give up the child. The purpose of this dialogue is to show the reader the decision that the American and Jig have to make and how he is trying to control her and persuade her to give up the baby. Another way Hemingway shows the conflict the woman is facing is when their conversation turns to discussing the land and hills they are looking at and the symbolic meaning behind them. “The girl was looking at the line of hills. They were white in the sun and the countryside was brown and dry” (Hemingway). He then goes on to compare hills to white elephants, which in some cultures are considered a useless or troublesome asset, especially expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of. By describing the earth as dry and brown, Hemingway uses it to symbolize infertility, which may be a concern plaguing Jig's mind. What if she miscarried this baby and couldn't have another? Stanley Renner of Illinois State University uses symbolism to describe the conflict as: “the hills on one side of the valley are barren and barren; those on the other side are described with images of living, growing things. Therefore, by choosing whether to have an abortion or have a child, spouses are choosing between two ways of living." The man is unaware of his internal debate and doesn't seem to want to have the discussion at all. The railroad tracks and the luggage are the most important symbols of the couple's decision. The railroad tracks symbolize the two different paths the couple could take, namely abortion or non-abortion. Both paths are irreversible. Renner raises an interesting point about how the two tracks are not only two different paths they could take, but also two opposing views on abortion. “The two lines of track represent the opposite choices available to them; the two sides of the valley represent two opposite directions in life, on this side the direction the American wants to go and on the other the direction the girl wants to go” (Renner). The baggage symbolizes the child and the emotional weight of the decision they are about to make. Eventually the man carries the suitcases to the opposite side of the tracks. This means that not only did he make the decision for both of them, but he also carries the weight of it. The woman smiled.