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Theme Of Manipulation In Hills Like White Elephants

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Humans are selfish, and only communicate to retract their wants/needs. Many humans will use certain tactics and strategies in order to get what they desire. These actions can be disoriented with a being's true intentions. Manipulation is a perfect tactic to gain control, and exploit others while having to avoid taking responsibility for the consequences of the action. Within manipulation many strategies can be conducted to receive the result the user wants; Reverse psychology is a manipulation technique that involves the user of the technique getting what they want from people by prompting and suggesting them to do the opposite. In Ernest Hemingway’s short novel “Hills Like White Elephants,” The American character secretively uses manipulation …show more content…

They are at a cafe in Spain, and the couple begins to have a sit and chat. Their conversation appears to be awkward, and like there is an avoidance of a specific topic to discuss. The man brings up what appears to be the avoided topic. The topic of their conversion is abortion and how it would affect their relationship. The writer does not specifically state the topic, but it is most definitely implied with context clues. The American man in the novel uses manipulation to try and convince his partner to go through with the operation. The American man says to his partner, “‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig’ The man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’” (Hemingway 315) The American man tries to manipulate his partner to complete the operation by telling her how simple and easy it is; however, he is a man so how would he know how ‘simple’ this operation is? The partner senses that the American man is in favor of the abortion, and this situation has caused a difference in their relationship. All the partner cares about is going back to ‘how things used to be’. The American man senses his partner's craving for their relationship before the situation, so he uses it to help manipulate her into thinking that the abortion is the right choice. The partner says to the American man, “‘And you think then we'll be all right and be happy.’ ‘I know we will, you don't have to be afraid. I’ve known lots of people that have done it.’” (Hemingway 315) The American man tries to make it seem like he is in support of his partner and their relationship, but he is using what the partner seeks the most as an incentive to help manipulate her into thinking that having an abortion will fix their relationship. The American man even emphasizes and restates the ‘simplicity’ of the operation; however, it is not to be comforting and supportive but to manipulate her to make the decision that he seeks. Their

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[he’s] known lots of people that have it done”(53). After all of these comments he made to convince her of his decision he tries to play it off like he wants her to do whatever she feels is right. The final key to manipulation: make it seem like it was her decision when in reality he manipulated her into making this choice all along. Manipulation is unfortunately a common theme in relationships and this short story does an incredible job by shining light on that issue in human relationships.

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This causes an emotional strain for the protagonist, thus fuelling her towards this quest of self-realisation. In Hemingway’s story, The Girl journeys into this quest when she awakes to the limitation of her decision -set by The American. The Girl tries to regain (or discover) her autonomy by rebelling. First rebelling inwardly through her subconscious by seeing the hills ‘…like white elephants’, and describing ‘the colouring of their skin through the trees.’ Moreover, she continues to rebel outwardly, by using sarcasm continuing to straightforwardly speak out against The American.

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