Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” is a rather confusing and hard to follow dialogue between a man, the American, and the girl, Jig. The author uses the pronoun “it” numerous times throughout the story. I propose that the man’s use of the word “it” in the story is an attempt to belittle the abortion and the unborn child. He desperately wants Jig to have the abortion so he constantly pitches the idea of it to her.

“It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig.” And “I know you wouldn’t mind it Jig. It’s not really anything” (528). These are the first instances the American refers to the abortion by using “it.” He makes the operation seem like a walk in the park when it clearly is not. From these lines alone readers may believe that the man is describing an extremely minor procedure such as taking off a mole or an ingrown toenail removal. After he provides her with all the information on how simple the abortion is, he then proceeds to tell her that she will not mind it and states that it is nothing. An abortion is a monumental decision.  The man acts like the surgery is a minor and easy choice because he is not the one having it. He does not care about Jig’s feelings.  All the American wants is to make sure that she goes through with it so he can be relieved of responsibility.

The man makes the operation seem like a common task, almost like it is a procedure everybody encounters at some point in life like getting wisdom teeth taken out or having a colonoscopy.  The American says, “They just let the air in and then it’s all perfectly natural” (529). He makes it sound so common and “natural” to dilute the severity of it when pitching the abortion to Jig.   

After the man realizes he has upset Jig he back peddles from his previous idea saying, “I don’t want you to, I don’t care anything about it” (530). He realizes that Jig is peeved with him and is clearly having trouble deciding what she should do so he is just trying to seem unbiased about which option she should choose. Evidence throughout the text proves the American wants her to go through with the operation, he just wants her to not feel pressured so she will do exactly what he wants. 

The man revisits the idea of the abortion, but this time tries to give her power in the decision. “I think it’s the best thing to do. But I don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to” (530). He still tries to sound like he wants what she wants but it is just another tactic to push her towards having the surgery. The man gives Jig the power to make her feel like the decision is on her all the while pushing his opinion on her.

The American pins his and the girl’s unhappiness on the baby. He tries to persuade Jig by pointing out an unborn baby, that has done nothing to anyone, as the cause of their unhappiness.  In the text, he says, “That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (529). This is clear evidence that the man wants her to have the abortion because he directs all the blame to the unborn child.

“I’m perfectly willing to go through with it if it means anything to you” (530). In this quote the man is telling the girl that he will go through with having the child if “it” means anything to her. He minimizes the responsibility it takes to be a parent and completely belittles their unborn child.  The American tells Jig that he will support her decision if she wants to have the child, but it is obvious that he does not want her to have their baby.  

A counter argument to my claim that the American uses “it” to disparage the operation could be that he is just so afraid of the decision and what their future holds that he just cannot even say the word “abortion.” An example of this is when the man says, “it’s perfectly simple” (530). The American says this to the girl in the story, but an argument could be made that he is speaking to himself.  He wants to assure himself that he is doing the right thing and the simplicity of it. Some may say that he is confused and is just trying to figure out what he wants. Others may argue that he is afraid that he will not be a good parent and just does not want to bring a kid into a bad situation. The man clearly is not afraid when he is hounding Jig about having the abortion. The American starts to hound Jig early in the story when he says, “It’s really an awful simple operation, Jig”. The couple’s discussion at the time was not about the abortion, but the man unfearfully throws his two cents in anyways. He is extremely persistent and adamant about what he wants. If it were up to him the child would already have been aborted but since Jig carries the child, he tries to butter her up and “guide” her to make her own decision.

An argument to refute my claim that the man uses “it” to minimize his unborn child could be that he tries to not give the child an identity so it will make their decision easier. He could possibly be attempting to keep himself emotionally detached from the child to keep from clouding his judgement.  Some could say that he is trying to make Jig not feel bad about her possible choice so he is using “it” keep her from feeling guilty and attached. The man does not care anything about the child and he is not worried about getting attached to it. The American says, “I think it’s the best thing to do” (529). No man that truly cares about his unborn child would say that taking their baby’s life is the “best thing to do.” He uses the word “it” to get his way with Jig.

Throughout the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” the author uses “it” to belittle and dehumanize the abortion and the unborn child. Often people manipulate or use broad words to refer to people or things to make them not sound so horrible or to get their point across. The American uses “it” constantly when referencing the abortion or child just so he can get the girl to do what he wants her to do. 