Jig’s Character Analysis

Jig’s Character Analysis

The character of Jig the ‘girl,’ who is the female protagonist in Hemingway’s story “Hills Like White Elephants,” is developed through her direct speech, attitude, and subtle mannerisms to paint the picture of a young, indecisive, and naïve girl. Jig’s pregnancy is the central idea in the story, and a reader would expect that she displays mature traits and composure as would any to-be mother. Conversely, Jig has allowed herself, evident by every visible cue regarding her persona, to be instructed like a child. This has earned her the title of the girl throughout the story, and perhaps, is the reason why the author continually refers to her as the girl rather than the woman. She personifies the challenges of an ideal feminine by being totally subservient and dependent on the father of her unborn baby- the American.  Just like a little child- in this case, a girl- Jig goes about her daily activities with indecisiveness while also taking a passive role so much that the reader can conclude that she is naïve. Jig is the stereotypical passive female, who lacks her own voice and position on decisions around her, and is accustomed to following the masterful instructions from the American.

Her pointless submission is evident from the words she utters to her boyfriend. Jig asks the American, “What should we think?”- A question in which she is asking her boyfriend’s permission on something as basic as an expression of one’s opinion (Hemingway 145). The seemingly unimportant question sufficiently expresses her little understanding that every person has is open to personal expression.  She is not able to make personal decisions over issues that impact directly on her life, such as the drink she wishes to order. While this would be considered a gesture of obedience and submission, the fact that she represents femininity in the story really showcases the awful nature in which the feminine gender is perceived. Especially, this extremely subservient character of the girl is an indication that the female gender is perceived as weak and inferior to their male counterparts. Through the lens of the girl’s character, it can be perceived that women’s decisions- including very important choices concerning their own body and sexuality- are dictated by men, simply conveyed by the author as ‘ accessories to men.’

Jig is also helpless and unstable.  These attributes are noted in her lack of assertiveness regarding her desire not to secure an abortion.  Building from her words, she seems confused over whether she intends to take the abortion or not. From the onset of the story, Jig and the American only have two choices: marriage or abortion. The dilemma ensues over whether Jig will ultimately have an abortion to please her boyfriend, or will she marry the American.  She already knows that the American does not consider marriage to be his cup of tea, and she personally did not consider marriage to be a source of relief.  It therefore meant that even if she took the abortion, the American would still not be happy to marry her. Regardless, she opted to take the abortion against her will just to please the American and blatantly says, “Then I’ll do it. Because I do not care about me” (Hemingway 64).  Definitely, doing the abortion is not the right thing in society and to her as an individual. Therefore, if she cared about herself, rather than for the American as she professed, then she would not be so much helpless as to strive to please her boyfriend in everything regardless of whether the outcome would be good or bad. Her indecisiveness hinders her from making a severely impactful decision regarding her life and the life of the bay she is carrying- something that she is supposed to make without mincing words. In the long run, the reader gets the feeling that someone else is driving Jig’s decisions and that without this someone, she would not be able to take a stand for herself.

The name ‘the girl’ itself is an embodiment of Jig’s inner personality. Being surrounded by circumstances of motherhood would be enough to earn Jig the title of ‘the woman.’  Accordingly, Jig is not a pregnant underage as this would attract the attention of legal authorities, which is not the case for this story. It, therefore, implies that Jig may just be old enough to be a mother, a woman, but in terms of character, she still has not evolved from childhood mentality that is dependent on approval from outsiders. So ultimately, the readers are given an impressionist portray of a woman who is adrift: she is old enough to experience whatever circumstances are going on around her, and for long has had the power to make sufficient choices for her very own good. However, she feels inadequate and is uncertain whether she would be adequate enough to face the consequence of her decisions after disregarding all the directions given to her by his masterful boyfriend. This gives her a sense of being rooted in inexperience.

In conclusion, Jigs own actions and the contrasting descriptions of events in her environment strategically point to a lady lacking in assertiveness in her life.  Her readily evident childish dialogue and uncertain actions reinforce her unstable self, and helps guide the reader into understanding her misinformed path. Even a simplistic view of the character would still revel the naivety that prevents her from being happy or getting something done to her name.