Name: Isabella Sanchez Points: ____/20

“Hills Like White Elephants” Psychoanalytic Perspective

1. How is the setting or the actions of the characters illustrative of these characters’ subconscious
fears or desires? Choose one aspect of the setting or one action of a character and explain how
it shows their subconscious fears or desires. (2 points)
They are at a train stop and on the side that they are on, there is sunshine and light, but on the
other side it is dark and there is no light, this can be seen as a symbolism that they start on the
sunny side where there is still a chance for the fetus to live and not be aborted, but to get the
abortion they need to be on the other side, and when they hop over the darkness symbolizes
death and the death of the baby.
2. Based on your annotations, what are the American’s subconscious fears? What are his
subconscious desires? Include at least 1 quote from the story in your response. (2 points)
His fear is that the girl will choose to have the baby and he will have to take on the role of being
a father. It is seen a lot that he pushes the girl into making the decision of getting an abortion. “I
know we will. You don’t have to be afraid. I’ve known lots of people that have done it.” He
keeps pushing her into making the decision that he wants. “I think it’s the best thing to do. But I
don’t want you to do it if you don’t really want to.” In a way he is telling her that the only right
way to acknowledge this problem is to have an abortion.
3. Based on your annotations, what are the girl’s subconscious fears? What are her subconscious
desires? Include at least 1 quote from the story in your response. (2 points)
The girls subconscious fear is that their relation ship will change after the go forth with the
abortion, “then what will we do afterwards?” she asked this to him as a way to get him to say
that their relationship will be ok, and that everything will be the same. Another fear she has is
the fear that she doesn’t know how it happens, “I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not
anything. It’s just to let the air in.” the American said this to the girl so she wouldn’t be so
frightened he lied to her and told her that they just put “air” in.

4. How does the girl’s thinking change from the beginning of the story to the end of the story?
Include at least 1 quote from the story in your response. (2 points)

At the beginning of the story she was questioning the decision, she kept asking questions like,
“Then what will we do afterwards?”, “What makes you think so?”, and “And you really want
to?” these quotes prove that she wasn’t 100% sure of this decision. Later on in the story we see
how the girl begins to lean more and more into having the abortion, “Then I’ll do it. Because I
don’t care about me”/ “And we can have all this,’ she said. ‘and we could have everything and
every day we make it more possible.” She began to listen to what the American was telling her
and based her decision on what he thought was best.

5. Does the American change his mind throughout the story in the same way as the girl? Why or
why not? (2 points)
No, he doesn’t change his mind because he knows that this is what’s easiest for him, because he
isn’t the one with the burden and he isn’t the one that will go through pain with both of the
decisions. He just wants the easy way out which is for the girl to abort the child, so he goes out
of his way to manipulate the girl into thinking that having the abortion is what’s best.
Very Short Story Writing: (10 points)

a. Brainstorm: When do people, in our everyday life, not say what they mean? What are
their reasons for it?
Everywhere. Our parents, siblings, friends and teachers say something else instead of
what they really mean. We grow up like this so many of the things we can reason in our
heads and figure out the meaning behind the words and what they really mean. It is
used as a way to maybe hide the truth, or sometimes you just don’t want to admit
something, so you find a way around it.

b. This story shows how what people say and do is very different from what they mean.
Write a very short story about a conversation between two people where their words
mean more than what it appears on the surface.
i. Must be at least ¾ of a page (double or single spaced)
ii. Place your characters in a symbolic setting—somewhere that conveys the
conflict.
iii. Have at least two characters do some small action that hints at their
subconscious fears or desires.
Short story

Two women where having a cup of coffee at a coffee shop on one of the busiest streets of New

York. The are surrounded by the noises of the traffic around them and shuffling of people racing

to get through. The older woman sips on her coffee as the other one reaches for her phone.

“So how has work been?”

“Wait. Let me finish this call.” She hangs up. “What did you want to tell me?”

“I just wanted to talk, it been a while since we’ve seen you”

“Yeah I know, I’ve been really busy.”

“we realized. We just want you to know that if there is anything you need we’re here.” Long

pause “I don’t know if she told you already but Sofia is getting married! And it would be great if

you would come, we all really miss you.”

“Ok, I’ll see if I can make it, tell her I say congratulations.”

“That’s all? You’ll see? After all we’ve done for you?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“that you miss us, that you want to make amends? It’s about time.”

“I don’t have to fix, what I don’t want to fix!”

“Well it was good to see you, I just want to say is that, I love you.” Leaves the table