Essay on “The Hills Have White Elephants” Essay

The hills of white elephants have brought along many problems for Jib. The thought of having a child is a hard topic to think about, especially, but even more so when isn’t planned. There will be arguments and issues with any ordinary couple, but these two try to figure out a way besides fighting. Love is always a difficult subject to explore but talking about it is only half the problem. Things can get so messed up, lost in the translation when you’re trying to explain yourself, that it can even makes things worse when you drag it out. To talk is to compare to compare is to solve, and thinking about all the issues these two have to work out is mind boggling. But for Jig and the man and for their relationship to work, it’s necessary for them to figure it out. It seems if Jig is a foreigner, someone the American (pg. 475) man may have met while traveling in Europe that he’s become very attached to. Lying can it be good or can it be bad, depending on the peo ple that this speaks to, it could go either way. Maybe she decides to lie to Jib, maybe that was her plan all along just to get Jib to speak his mind. You never know what anyone is thinking; maybe she loves him so much she’ll lie about anything just to keep Jib around. Lies can take you to far places, from experience I know, but when things go bad and suddenly turn south it’s hard to dig yourself out. Usually the damage has been done and there’s no way to fix the hole in the boat. Coming from Jib’s perspective when the man offered the abortion as an idea or way out of the situation, it seemed it was his plan maybe to trick her into getting one all along. He says â€Å"he knows plenty of people who have had one.† (pg. 476 ) Then he shows his affection by saying he wants what’s best for her, but then says, â€Å"I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you.† (pg. 477). Like as if to say it in a way to put the pressure of the situation or the outcome of their relationship on her, by the decision she makes, but because he keeps talking it kind of unravels on him. In his mind, the man appears to want to keep things the way they were, before there was this baby. He wants to continue traveling the world and partying around. What comes out from the conversation is the man’s true selfish ways. You can tell Jib is also fishing for reassurance of the man’s love for her. Jib says, â€Å"And if I do it you’ll be happy and things will be like they were and you’ll love me?† (pg. 477) As if to say Jib is questioning how the man feels about  her now in this situation. Yet he says â€Å"I love you now. You know I love you.† (pg. 477) But you can tell that Jib really doesn’t believe he loves her the way that he did before, because the situation has caused drama in their relationship. To me, the white elephants in the room were Jib and the unborn baby; the hills are kind of the whole situation they’re dealing with as a couple. But because Jib continues to drink alcohol, fully knowing she’s pregnant leads me to believe she knew all along that she was going to go ahead with the operation. This conversation was her way of finding out how the man really felt about her and their relationship. A baby is supposed to be the combination of two people and the love they have for each other, it’s a natural thing you’d want and desire if you really love someone. She doesn’t want to have the operation at first, or so she says, but the man plays a mind game on her and confuses her into agreeing with the operation, but Jib was playing may have been playing her own game as well. This isn’t really a form of love coming from either side; it’s a form of deception. He practically baits Jib by the way he says things to her when she says, â€Å"And we could have all this, â€Å"And we could have everything and every day we make it more impossible.† (pg. 477) But the man is very negative in saying â€Å"No we can’t.† (Pg. 477) numerous times. Jib is trying to be positive, make light of the situation, but the man is full of negativity. True love comes from the mind and heart, is sacrificial, in that you’d do almost anything to protect the one you love. Jib says, â€Å"she doesn’t even care about herself.† (Pg. 477) She just wants things to be fine again and is willing to sacrifice her child for it and him. These two have a form of attachment, an almost obsession, but love, it seems more one sided, I don’t see it, lust maybe. Jib appears to be young, and the man older, but you sense neither of them knows what either of them wants from a relationship let alone anything else. Except to travel the world and have fun. Love isn’t always fun and for anyone who has been in love, you know what I am talking about. Complications hit you at every turn to take the love you have away, and when the real stuff starts happening that’s when you find out if someone really loves you or they’re just using you for their own personal gain. Real love takes work and time to establish. The man is using Jib to his advantage, just so he has a party friend, and a traveling companion. A baby is not in his plans, but  now the pregnant news comes to light, and his true self is exposed and he pani cs, even pretends to love her just to trick her into getting an abortion. In conclusion love can be seen in a lot of ways, but to some it’s just a game to see how far people can play with each other’s emotions. The man is a traveler and having a kid would have ruined his plans of fun. He did what he had to do for himself and lust for travel. Love is powerful and the way he uses it is wrong especially on a young girl. Don’t abuse the power given to you because you never know who you might hurt. The pain you inflict on others always seems to have a strange way of coming back to haunt you in your future. I guess what people say about what comes around goes around, because if you think about, it does.