Gordimer 's Country Lovers and Hemingway's Hills like White Elephants - Literature review Example

The Tragedy of Love Sparkle Hayes Alex Vuilleumier May 6, The Tragedy of Love As the wise saying from Peter Zilahy goes, “You have to make choices when there is nothing to choose from.” The performer and literary writers saying depicts what the female characters in the short novels, “Country Lovers” by Nadie Gordimer and “Hills like White Elephants” by Earest Hemingway had to execute. In the novels, “Country Lovers” and “Hills like White Elephants” the authors Nadie Gordimer and Earest Hemingway focus on various types of conflicts and literary devices to reveal the controversies clouding issues of love, relationships and choices in the society. The paper identifies the conflicts in each of the mentioned literary works, the differences and similarities of each conflict and some of the literary elements that the authors used to represent their thoughts in the texts. It is evident that the female characters in both books struggle to overcome two types of conflicts that have the tragedy of love at its focal point (Brackett, 2012). Specifically, the conflicts include the one between the individual and self, an individual versus man. Besides the conflicts mentions above, the characters in “Country Lovers” also face additional encounter with the conflict of the individual and the society. Elsewhere, in Nadine Gordimer’s story, “Thebedi and a very innocent black lady reveal how her social or love status in her relationship with Paulus causes her submissiveness to replace her hopefulness” (Clugston, 2014). The struggle depicts the internal conflict in the story. She encountered it when she was struggling to tell Paulus and everyone else that she had his child. In the initial moments, Thebedi kept the secret within herself due to numerous reasons the major one being her external conflict with the society. Another vital type of conflict exists between the society and the individual. During the time when Paulus and Thebedi stayed together, the society immensely discriminated against the white and blacks being together. In their generation, the society allowed individuals to marry people who fit into their race and social class. The two partners did not share either the social class or ethnic group. Concerning the great conflict between Thebedi’s inner self and the nagging society, she had in her mind that she would be ridiculed and punished harshly if the society new the very truth of their affair. Her struggle with the individual versus man conflict is what seems to have made her retract her initial statement against Paulus. In fact, Clugston (2014) suggests that, “she wants to rekindle her love for him, but she retreats to her racial role.” Her anger makes her testify against him, but it does not change anything. In the end, feeling powerless, she submits to what society demands. In the story of Hemingway, dynamic conflicts also exist. The author introduces an American man, who is unmentioned and a tender lady by the name, Jig. The story records that the two friends were traveling as couples by train. As they waited to board a train that was to take them to Madrid, they engaged in a conversation that depicts the internal conflict that Jig had within herself. The discussion is vital as it is crucial for revealing the personal status of Jig. Jig reveals that she is pregnant, and this does not stir issues instantly. However, when her man begins to pressurize her into having an abortion, she gets into a state of dilemma. She faces external conflict as she contemplates into bowing to the whims of her boyfriend. The reason the friend gives for advocating abortion is that all the dynamics of the relationship will get back to their original status after an abortion. In comparing the situation of the two young women, a reader observes that the plots of the two stories differ significantly but the nature of the conflicts that face the two women characters remain the same in terms of their effects on characters (Brackett, 2012). Through conducting an analysis of the two scenarios involving Thebedi and Jig, it is noted that they both face life changing and life threatening conditions pertaining to their children’s lives. In both cases, the fathers of the children were less concerned about their children. In addition, it is the women who end up making the final decision as to what to do with the pregnancies. While Thebedi hides the truth about Paulus murder of the kid, Jig becomes torn. Jig and her boyfriend were indifferences as to whether to keep the baby or to terminate the pregnancy. Jig thought that the kid would be a blessing while her man perceived it as worthless and recommended an abortion. Variances exist in the way in which the writers introduced their conflict resolutions to their audiences. In the “Country of Lovers,” the audience can perceive Thebedi’s conflict resolution but readers cannot predict Jig’s motives. Elsewhere, Hemingway leaves his readers at a great suspense. However, some of the figurative languages that he incorporates into the story signifies that Jig kept the baby. For instance, she mentions that she took heavy bags and carried them around the station to other tracks (Clugston, 2014, Section 3.2). The fact that Jig smiled and that the bags were already checked when the movement was taking place insinuates much about the survival of the baby. On the side of Thebedi, she lacked the chance of fighting for the life of her kid the same way Jig did in her circumstance. Unfortunately, she lacked the choice to keep her child. She was forced to go on separate ways with Paulus after the ordeal. Apparently, Hemingway used figurative language throughout his text just like Gordimer did in his work. A close analysis of the two texts also reveals a significant use of diverse literary techniques. In both situations, the authors used themes, setting and symbolism as literary devices that accompany the delivery of their messages to their audiences. To begin with, the author uses symbolism in “Country Lovers” in a way that compliments conflicts present in the story. For instance, the repeated use of the word “White” by Gordimer has a symbolic meaning. In particular cases in the book, he uses the term to mean Thebedi’s innocence and purity before entering into a sexual relationship with Paulus. In Hemingway’s text, the use of symbolism also emerges strongly. For example, when he wrote, “the girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun, and the country was brown and dry. They look like white elephants; she said,” (Clugston, 2014, Section 6.3). The quote illustrates the use of symbolism as white elephants symbolizes things that are a burden to us in life. Jig’s case is an example of an unwanted item. It may also represent the painful topic of abortion that she was not comfortable discussing. As a literary device or technique, the settings of the two novels also play a significant role in strengthening the message of the story. In the “Country Lovers,” the author stages the story in a South African farm (Clugston, 2010b). The use a figurative language and imagery makes the audience conclude that during the era of writing the story, there was still some element of racial discrimination and prejudice. At that instance, the black people were highly discriminated against by the whites who were upheld in all circumstances. The setting of the story is significant as it shows the conflict between Paulus and Thebedi’s social conflicts. On the other hand, Hemingway sets his story in a noisy train station where it is very hard to communicate. The setting of the novel enhances the intensity of the existing conflict in the plot as the characters act in a cross way or crossroads. Perhaps, it may illustrate the disunion between death and life which reflect Jig’s dilemma. The third fundamental aspect of literary attributes used in the two stories is the theme that reinforces the conflicts in the story. The examples of themes portrayed in the stories are love and choices. However, a primary focus is on the cumbersome and complicated emotions experienced by both couples in the stories. “Hills like White Elephants” is a theme whose basis is the modern world. In the stories, the importance of one handling his or her life is emphasized by various incidences in the stories. Jig’s anguish, the American man and the numerous hotel stickers on their luggage is a good example. Readers can speculate that the American is ready to travel and mind his affairs than taking parental responsibility. The story explores the choices that the couples had in solving their dilemmas but does not give us the final choices made. The central insight is usually the theme of the story. More so, it is the consolidating statement about life too. The theme of Hemingway’s story is depicted during the annunciation of the dilemma that the couple is facing about Jig’s pregnancy. Also, the cause of conflict is the forbidden love experience in “Country Lovers”. If there had been no discrimination by the society, Thebedi and Paulus could have lived together. They could have had an opportunity to make their decisions and take care of their child. In conclusion, a comparison of the stories reveals that their plots differ significantly, but the nature of the conflicts incorporated in them remain the same in terms of their effects. In both situations, the authors used themes, setting and symbolism as literary devices that accompany the delivery of their messages to their audiences. References Brackett, V. (2012). Critical Companion to Mary Shelley: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. New York: Facts on File. Clugston, R. W. (2014). Journey into literature (2nd Ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ Greenblatt, S. (2013). The Norton anthology of English literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. Hemingway, E. (1927). Hills like white elephants. Read More

In the end, feeling powerless, she submits to what society demands. In the story of Hemingway, dynamic conflicts also exist. The author introduces an American man, who is unmentioned and a tender lady by the name, Jig. The story records that the two friends were traveling as couples by train. As they waited to board a train that was to take them to Madrid, they engaged in a conversation that depicts the internal conflict that Jig had within herself. The discussion is vital as it is crucial for revealing the personal status of Jig.

Jig reveals that she is pregnant, and this does not stir issues instantly. However, when her man begins to pressurize her into having an abortion, she gets into a state of dilemma. She faces external conflict as she contemplates into bowing to the whims of her boyfriend. The reason the friend gives for advocating abortion is that all the dynamics of the relationship will get back to their original status after an abortion. In comparing the situation of the two young women, a reader observes that the plots of the two stories differ significantly but the nature of the conflicts that face the two women characters remain the same in terms of their effects on characters (Brackett, 2012).

Through conducting an analysis of the two scenarios involving Thebedi and Jig, it is noted that they both face life changing and life threatening conditions pertaining to their children’s lives. In both cases, the fathers of the children were less concerned about their children. In addition, it is the women who end up making the final decision as to what to do with the pregnancies. While Thebedi hides the truth about Paulus murder of the kid, Jig becomes torn. Jig and her boyfriend were indifferences as to whether to keep the baby or to terminate the pregnancy.

Jig thought that the kid would be a blessing while her man perceived it as worthless and recommended an abortion. Variances exist in the way in which the writers introduced their conflict resolutions to their audiences. In the “Country of Lovers,” the audience can perceive Thebedi’s conflict resolution but readers cannot predict Jig’s motives. Elsewhere, Hemingway leaves his readers at a great suspense. However, some of the figurative languages that he incorporates into the story signifies that Jig kept the baby.

For instance, she mentions that she took heavy bags and carried them around the station to other tracks (Clugston, 2014, Section 3.2). The fact that Jig smiled and that the bags were already checked when the movement was taking place insinuates much about the survival of the baby. On the side of Thebedi, she lacked the chance of fighting for the life of her kid the same way Jig did in her circumstance. Unfortunately, she lacked the choice to keep her child. She was forced to go on separate ways with Paulus after the ordeal.

Apparently, Hemingway used figurative language throughout his text just like Gordimer did in his work. A close analysis of the two texts also reveals a significant use of diverse literary techniques. In both situations, the authors used themes, setting and symbolism as literary devices that accompany the delivery of their messages to their audiences. To begin with, the author uses symbolism in “Country Lovers” in a way that compliments conflicts present in the story. For instance, the repeated use of the word “White” by Gordimer has a symbolic meaning.

In particular cases in the book, he uses the term to mean Thebedi’s innocence and purity before entering into a sexual relationship with Paulus. In Hemingway’s text, the use of symbolism also emerges strongly. For example, when he wrote, “the girl was looking off at the line of hills. They were white in the sun, and the country was brown and dry. They look like white elephants; she said,” (Clugston, 2014, Section 6.3). The quote illustrates the use of symbolism as white elephants symbolizes things that are a burden to us in life.

Jig’s case is an example of an unwanted item.

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