Lately it has become almost obligatory to talk about Ernest Hemingway and his "Hills like white elephants" in the academic context. Which are the main reasons? What is about? Mainly because of its special connotations which transform what could be an easy text into a very complex one whose real meaning is difficult to figure it out. And added to this, I strongly believe that the importance of analysing this text also lies in the fact that is everlasting. Despite being a relatively old writing (its first publication was on 1927), is totally up-to-date. Its subject matterwill never be old-fashioned, since the problem with abortion and too much young mothers will never disappear. People commonly think that is a current social trouble, but that is not true. It has always existed. So what is the plot? A story repeated all over the time again and again. The main character is an educated, high class man who dazzles a naive and romantic young girl.A girl who follows her inexperienced heart and gets pregnant. He, who obviously is a charming man with a lot of experience dealing with women, brings her into a trip like they were a real couple. However the trip has a hidden agenda. He wants to persuade her of getting an abortion. It is clearly understood that having a child with her is not on his plan. Apparently she does not want to get rid of her baby, but will she be enough strong to go ahead, avoiding his tempting lover? Just read it!
By Marta Durá
A joke in a non-traditional manner
13 hours ago
Good reflections on the Hem. story. The genre is a bit off, though, since this is not so much a review as a piece of criticism (suitable for a project at AAU, for instance). Only the last line with its attempt to influence the reader is a feature of the review genre (and inappropriate in a project, of course)
ReplyDeleteSPECULATION AND REFLECTION about chosing one genre or another:
ReplyDeleteI think I should rewrite my review since apparently it should be more persuasive. I thought that in a review one could just make the summary of the story. If I would have chosen the "prose" genre for example I would chosen between a first person narrator or a third one like in my review. I would have used more adjectives or verbs depending if it was a description or just narration of facts.I would have clarified which were the reasons of the different characters in performing their acts and of course I would have written it in such a way that readers immediately could identify themselves with one of the different characters depending on their personalities.
If I would have chosen "drama", I am sure I would have written a dialogue between the two main characters, but I think that would not be an appropriate choice since it would be very similar to the original text.
On the other hand I do not really know what I would have written if I would have chosen the "poetry" genre, because I am not very good on it.
If I have to write in "journalist" style, I think that I would use more or less colloquial words (or on the contrary more or less formal) taking into account the type of magazine or newspaper I write for.Because depending on the magazine you have more freedom or not.And obviously my text could not be biased, I could not give my personal opinion at all, I should try to be commpletely neutral.