❖ Late Night Blogging HLWE ❖ Blog #1

~ Prior to taking this course, I never had the slightest impression on how to incorporate critical thinking into everyday pieces of literature. I would read merely the first few paragraphs before placing the book down in anguish and never give it any second chances. A simple one-time read through may not be enough to interpret the author's hidden meanings or moral to his writing.  But, through the use of annotating and re-reading, all elements utilized by the writer can be expeditiously uncovered in any composition of words. Augmenting a distinguishable understanding and a more enjoyable experience when casually and/or educationally reading.
~ Ernest Hemmingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" provides abounding clues and symbolism in the context that allow the reader to determine the concrete message behind the story. His clandestine meanings would go undiscovered by whoever is unwilling to involve themselves into the story. With a little bit of research and open-minded thinking, it would soon become apparent that his writing was about abortion and not just aimed at a couple having a casual conversation while waiting for a train. After reading through the story carefully, I jotted down a few notes in the margins that would lead to a transparent comprehension of the theme's significance.
~ The man says to Jig, "It's really an awfully simple operation". This simple statement engrosses your mind asking you questions like, "What type of operation?" and "Why is this operation needed?"
~ Later in the story, Jig adds, "Once they take it away, you never get it back." She basically makes it clear to the reader that there are no second chances if they go through with the surgery and 'it' (in this case, the baby) will be gone forever.
~ Hemmingway cleverly annexes symbolism into the paragraphs supplementing the idea of the 'it' being an unborn infant. For example, Jig compares the beauty of nature to the beauty of raising a child. She looks across the station at the majestic Ebro River surrounded by dense trees and the mountains reaching towards the clouds like skyscrapers. "We could have all this, and we could have everything"
~ Even the smallest, most seemingly inconsequential symbols present enormous background for the story. Take the bamboo curtain for instance, it's mentioned numerously throughout the writing but it doesn't seem to be necessary. That is until you do some digging around, and find something very meaningful. With a little research, I found that some old Japanese folk tales suggest that human life was born from a bamboo stem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Bamboo_Cutter). Or perhaps the curtain symbolizes a "curtain", like a barricade, growing between their relationship. And if you combine both, you end up with a very convincing symbol discovered through critical thinking and evaluation.
~ Exercising the simple skills picked up in a lecture or two, with limited effort and minimal research allowed me to elucidate the genuine tenor behind Ernest Hemmingway's short story "Hills Like White Elephants"

~Sheldon Roy