Name: 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)
The girl continuously asks about different drinks that they should try. I believe that
this shows how she seeks affirmation from the American. She wants to try all these
drinks to almost show how she knows what she’s talking about when it comes to the
drinks.
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)

I believe that the Americans subconscious fears are that the girl won’t get the
operation done and they will be unhappy. He tells her that he will be happy with
whatever decision she makes but in reality, he wants her to get the operation. He
says, “I don't want you to do it if you feel that way,” but he also says, “That's the only
thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's made us unhappy.” This shows how he
says that he cares about her opinion on the matter but at the same time he tries to
convince her to get the surgery.

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)

I believe that the girl does not want to have the operation done but is only agreeing
with the American to please him. In reality I think she is scared about the procedure.
The American says, “That's the only thing that bothers us. It's the only thing that's
made us unhappy.” And then the girl later says, “Oh, yes. But I don't care about me.
And I'll do it and then everything will be fine.” This shows how she is only sub missing
to agreeing to what her partner believes. She wants the problems to go away so she
agrees to the operation because he thinks this will solve them.

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)

From the beginning of the story to the end the girls thinking changes because at the
beginning she agrees with him right away, for example when she says, “I know. But if I
do it, then it will be nice again if I say things are like white elephants, and you'll like it?” B ut at
 the end she starts to challenge his thoughts with her own. She says, “Would you please
please please please please please please stop talking?”

5. Does the American change his mind throughout the story in the same way as the girl?
Why or why not? (2 points)

The Americans point of view does not change through out the story. At the beginning
he wants her to get the operation and at the end he wants the same thing, but on the
surface, he claims that he supports her decision, whatever it might be.

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?

-when someone asks for their opinion: they don’t want to be rude or upset the
person
-if they did something wrong
-scared to talk about their emotions
-when they want to agree with someone to get ahead
-

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.
 Maddie and I were at the mall last weekend shopping, which is what we usually do

when we hang out together, and as we were walking around passing the stores we both saw

outfits in the window of the same store so we decided to go look inside. We have very different

senses of style, so we usually don’t share clothes. We went inside, picked up the clothes we

wanted to try on and headed to the fitting rooms.

“So, what do you think?” She came out in a bright red dress that I would never see

myself in in a million years.

“Wow Mads, that looks good… on you,” I said as convincingly as I could.

“You hate it don’t you?”

“No, I don’t hate it I just wouldn’t wear it myself that’s all… but it’s very you, you know?

Like, your style.”

“I’ll think about this one, I guess. Go on, show me what you have.”

I came out in a simpler outfit. It was a pair of Levi jeans and plain black crop top,

something that I would usually wear to go out.

Maddie asked, “what else would you wear with this?”

“Probably my Air Force 1’s. Why?”

“Oh no nothing that would be really cute.”

“You think it’s too basic, don’t you? You always seen to think that.”

“Well we do have different styles. We never agree in what outfits we should wear. I like

the outfit…I just wouldn’t wear it like that. You could add some accessories! Maybe some-“

“Maddie c’mon now. You know that’s not me”

“Fine, fine. Buy whatever you want. It’s cute like that trust me.”