Addiction to Independence in Hills Like White ElephantsIn Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", the life of Jig and American, the main characters, is exposed for a brief period. time. Jig and the man have been in a romantic relationship for some time and their future together is now in jeopardy. Jig's impregnation caused the American to pressure her into having an abortion. We find these two individuals in the Ebro valley. Traveling from Barcelona to Madrid, the couple took advantage of these few minutes to discuss the future of their baby. Jig must now make one of the most important decisions of his life: to abort and stay with the American, or have the baby and end the relationship with the man. The forty minutes of dialogue we observe detail the need for both to control the situation. The dialogue between these two characters and the narrator's comments refer to the dry and desperate atmosphere that reigns throughout the setting of this event. The introductory narrative provides a prophetic framework for this forty-minute overview of the lives of Jig and the American. The names of the two characters provide insight into the relationship between the two individuals. A “jig” is a “quick, springy dance.” (Webster's New World Dictionary, p.320) This brings to mind abortion. The decision to abort must be made quickly. The lack of a name for the man also provides insight into his character. By leaving the man nameless, Hemingway does not allow the reader to personalize the man. This makes it easier to dislike him. "On this side there was no shade or trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the middle...... middle of paper ...... another path she could take, a a path that leads away from all other paths, a path that leads away from the barren land, a path that leads to a better future. During the forty-minute excerpt of Jig and the American's conversation, decisions are made that will have a lifelong impact. Jig must overcome her dependence on the man in order to truly decide for herself what is more important: continuing the relationship or saving the life of the baby inside her. The fate of their baby, their “white elephant”, will be decided in these few moments. Throughout their conversations, numerous references to the setting are brought up. The symbolisms in the narrator's descriptions of the setting allude to the abortion that the American wishes Jig to undergo, and the dialogue between the couples alludes to their superficial relationship..