The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. (…)
Source: Hemingway, Ernest “Hills like White Elephants.” In: Ernest Hemingway Men Without Women. Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1927.
Available at [🔗].
Current Affairs
What is the role of men in abortion decisions? In some cases, women have abortions against the wishes of the prospective father. In other cases, women are unduly pressured into opting for an abortion. These issues are discussed in the BBC Newsbeat piece “Men ‘want more say’ over abortion test change.”
links
“Men ‘want more say’ over abortion test change.” BBC Newsbeat, 10 March 2010. [🔗]
Questions
1. What do you think is the significance of Hemingway’s title “Hills like White Elephants”?
2. Do you think that the male character is exerting undue pressure on the female character?
3. How does the female character respond? Does she effectively communicate her feelings about the issue?
4. Should men be able to block their partners from having an abortion?
5. What would constitute undue pressure by a man on a woman to have an abortion?