Literary works are valuable for study as they raise topics that may be relevant to modern society. These are the stories of Ernest Hemingway called “Cat in the Rain” and “Hills like white elephants.” “Cat in the Rain,” tells readers about a married couple who once stayed in one of the Italian hotels. One stormy day, my wife saw a cat outside the window who was hiding under the table from the weather. She decided to help the animal and take it to the room; however, when she went outside, the cat was no longer there. The woman returned to the room and expressed her frustration to her husband, which then turned into a tense conversation, at the end of which there was a knock on the door, and the maid brought a kitten to the couple. “Hills like white elephants” also tells about a man and a woman who were resting on a person while waiting for a train. The couple discusses the operation, the nature of which is not openly called; however, it can be understood that we are talking about an unwanted pregnancy. The man tries in every way to let the girl know that everything will be fine and will return to the old, and she agrees with him.
Through his works, Hemingway reveals complex interpersonal relationships and provides readers with the opportunity to gain their understanding and interpret them. In my opinion, these works reveal the theme of the relationship between a man and a woman while touching on such aspects as lack of communication and loneliness, and imagination, which helps to convey the central message of the writer more effectively. There was an event in my life when I felt that the person with whom I communicated felt privileged over me and made me feel lonely and isolated. I believe that these themes primarily relate to my life experience, as I have faced problems of feeling isolated in relationships with people and the differentiation between the roles of men and women.
Thus, the first theme that can be highlighted in both of the author’s stories is gender roles and their impact on the relationship between men and women. This topic is relevant to my experience since I face this problem every day and clearly feel that sometimes the role of men is valued and revered more than women, thereby overpowering them. Henceforth, in the first story, the girl is a representative of a more modern women’s movement since her hair was “clipped close like a boy’s” without children and a permanent home (Hemingway, 1925, p. 2). However, this position was not pleasant to her, which was evident in her words when she said, “I want to pull my hair back tight and smooth and make a big knot at the back that I can feel,” she said. ‘I want to have a kitty to sit on my lap and purr when I stroke her” (Hemingway, 1925, p. 2). These words showed her desire to lead a more traditional lifestyle, which was more common at that time. The story “Hills like white elephants” shows an apparent dominant influence of a man over a woman. When reading their conversation, a certain tension and stressfulness of the situation are transmitted to the reader, which immediately speaks about the nature of the operation being discussed. The man persuades and seems to be trying to convince the girl that she wants it herself, saying, “that’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy” (Hemingway, 2022, p. 230). Therefore, the character manipulates the feelings of a girl who most likely does not want to have an operation but succumbs to his pressure.
Further, the next theme that comes up in Hemingway’s stories is loneliness and isolation in relationships. In the story “Hills like white elephants,” the author shows through the conversation of the main characters that they are distant from each other. Especially in these relationships, a girl suffers and is worried, perhaps worried, that their relationship will deteriorate after the operation and she will be left alone. This is supported by the fact that she asked, “and if I do it, you’ll be happy, and things will be like they were, and you’ll love me?” (Hemingway, 2022, p. 231). In these words, the reader can trace the fear and simultaneous hope that perhaps if she had kept the pregnancy, she would have strengthened their relationship. There is also no closeness and warmth between the main protagonists of “Cat in the rain,” which should be between husband and wife. Hence, a man reacts rather coldly and indifferently to what a woman is trying to convey to him. Thus, the wife fixes all her attention on the cat from the street, as she wants to find the source of the bond that she does not have with her husband. Moreover, the feeling of loneliness and isolation is also influenced by the fact that the couple was “only two Americans stopping at the hotel” (Hemingway, 1925, p. 1). Therefore, the author enhances the influence that this detachment has on the relationship between a man and a woman.
Last but not least, the theme that has a special meaning in both narratives is imagery. This method of creating an atmosphere and conveying the feelings of the main protagonists is a prominent characteristic of Hemingway’s works. Furthermore, in the story “Cat in the Rain,” the author pays special attention to this tool since, with its help, he puts readers in the atmosphere of what is happening. Moreover, it contributes to a deeper disclosure of the theme of isolation and loneliness since “their room was on the second floor facing the sea. It also faced the public garden and the war monument” (Hemingway, 1925, p. 1). However, despite such an active life, the couple was supposedly locked in their room by lousy weather. Imagery also had a reasonably significant role in the story “Hills like white elephants.” The author provides a description of the station where the couple was waiting for the train, other people, and the weather. Hills similar to white elephants, which the girl noticed at the very beginning of the work, have a unique significance for this narrative. Thus, through this mention, the girl is trying to raise a topic that no one wants to discuss. Therefore, she draws a parallel between hills and pregnancy, gradually giving hints to her partner that she might want a child, saying, “They’re lovely hills” (Hemingway, 2022, p. 230). Unfortunately, the man is too focused on preventing unwanted pregnancy and does not pay attention to the girl’s experiences.
In conclusion, in the works “Cat in the Rain” and “Hills like white elephants,” Ernest Hemingway raises topics such as intergender relationships and roles, loneliness and isolation, and imagination. I believe that all these topics are relevant and relevant for modern society and can be traced to the personal experience of each person. Therefore, regarding my life, I can say that the analysis of these works allowed me to better understand the impact of these issues on relationships with individuals and the importance of establishing and strengthening them.
References
Hemingway, E. (1925). Cat in the rain. Boni & Liveright.
Hemingway, E. (2022). Hills like white elephants. Weber State University. Web.