解析《白象似的群山》女主人公的心理變化

王雅迪

【中圖分類號(hào)】G64.30 【文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識(shí)碼】A 【文章編號(hào)】2095-3089（2016）13-0-01

1.Introduction

Ernest Miller Hemingway is an author with a long-cherished reputation all over the world. The distinctive accomplishment of his literary works stems from the authenticity of characters as well as the iceberg theory featured by conciseness and understatement. In 1954, receiving the Nobel Prize assisted him to enjoy a more splendid and brilliant future.

Hills Like White Elephants is one of his representative works. The plot is expanded as an American couple is traveling around Spain. The main idea is about whether the heroine, named Jig, should make up her mind to take the aborticide or not. Her mate keeps implying the foeticide and taking pains to overpersuade Jig that an abortion is perfectly natural, however Jig feels unsure about getting the miscarriage.

In this paper, the author aims at analyzing Earnest Hemmingways Hills Like White Elephants in order to probe into his writing techniques, the relationships between the American couple, the profound connotation of the entire story, especially the psychological change processes of Jig.

2. Psychological Changes of the Heroine

2.1 Dependence and Flattery

Jig has become disillusioned with their relationship, even though she probably knows what she is getting into. To a large extent she still needs her mate, who must bear all the expense during the travel and knows the Spanish as well as the route.

As for the conversational tactics of the couple, the embarrassment is that she must have the motherhood, but she dares not inquire her mate about this doubt. Her misgiving is manifested by holding two strings of beads until she moves toward the other orientation of the railway station, followed by her mate who walks to the same direction, since both of them take a seat after walking backward to the table.

The hills across the bleak valley were described by heroine as white elephants, which are the simile with a subaudition. In her eyes, white elephants are as adorable as their forthcoming baby, while the American perceives that the baby will probably be a barrier just like white elephants. He feels like weaselling out of this unfavorable responsibility, thus he makes attempts to persuade Jig to have miscarriage of the baby, which exerts an impact on their relationship.

In terms of the dialogue between Jig and the American, he mentions beer just by noting how hot it is. The manipulation is manifested when the hero guides heroine to reach a consensus about the unborn baby. She attemps to ridicule his remarks, but ending up with silence.

Jig is told that it is unnecessary to have the miscarriage if she pauses and ponders. The unrealistic promises of the American are the betrayal of trust to Jig. The hero takes pains to make a compromise with heroine, as if they are equal, while he still wants her to miscarry the baby as well. Any concern he shows is undermined by the apparent self-contradiction.

2.2 Contradiction and Struggle

Hemingway (1927) confessed to a friend that he learned to write about landscapes by means of staring at artworks of Paul Cezanne at the very beginning of his career. He accounted for it at length, for instance, the omission of “miscarriage” and the tension would intensify the plot. Hemingway regarded Americans are not in a position to have a cheerful and contented life under the serious constraints in USA while Europe is totally different. The hero attempts to get around Jigs feeling of loss as she looks at the European countryside. Jig believes that the unforgettable happy life has ended since her mate has changed. Jig argues against the current situation through using the symbolism to describe the valley with a vivifying view.

The verbs, such as “want,” “have,” “l(fā)ove,” bound up with the miscarriage, and assist to manifest that the abortion would be a watershed event in their relationship. Such a clear awareness is exactly what the man is attempting to get rid of. Taking the miscarriage will assist him to realize the self-emancipation from the upset pressure, but unfortunately this is a hallucination. Heroine makes efforts to alter their current relationship, while the hero strives to lead a life as light-hearted as before.

Although both characters use language to express their anxieties and even gain power over the other, none of constructive communication occurs to facilitate them to reach a reconciliation. The drinks, a safe topic, become the satire of the his behavior, meanwhile the drinks make his mate despair. Jig believes that she is able to keep the unborn baby or the American but not both. Therefore she is adjusting, meanwhile presenting the strong reservations. The couple mentions neither abortion or marriage directly. Although the American seems to understand metaphors in other statements by Jig, he resists speaking metaphorically because he wants to assert the logic of having the abortion. The couple mentions neither abortion or marriage directly.The couple obscures their real intentions, thus both of them feel confused about it in that the American talked from the angle of a male, while Jig applies the female communication strategies. Their arguing enters into another stage in that she disapproves of the miscarriage. The American gradually loses the initiative of their conversation. Therefore, many of Jigs statements become sarcastic.

2.3 Awakening and Independence

In terms of structure, Hemingway spared no efforts to design a peaceful surrounding. Jig endeavors to dispense from head-on confrontation with her mate, meanwhile her satire makes it self-evident that she is not weak. The heroine is unwilling to be restricted by him, which mounts tension as the story progresses.

As for language and wealth, the man owns the absolute predominance at the beginning. Heroines authority is physical in that she is imaginative, fecund, and resistant to heros cultural weapons. The hero reacts defensively after they first share opinions on the white elephant, after that he behaves like a boy. He gradually loses control of their controversy in that language as well as wealth is gradually feeble.

Ironically, her pregnancy as well as his fatherhood is fruits of his fertility. At the very end of this story, “five minutes” makes overt that the time is under the control of heroine. Her challenges of his authority manifest the collapse of his logic.