Essay --

This short story starts out by setting the scene. The American and a girl sit at a table in front of a building where they were waiting on a train to arrive. It is very hot outside and the background is hills described to be long and white. â€Å"They look like white elephants,† she said. â€Å"I’ve never seen one,† the man drank his beer. â€Å"No you wouldn’t have.† â€Å"I might have,† the man said. â€Å"Just because you say I wouldn’t have doesn’t prove anything.† (Hemingway 6-10) These lines from Ernest Hemingway depict how a man can overpower a woman with his chosen words and tone. In this conversation between the American and the woman, you will see the woman become less and less sure of herself and eventually she can’t even make her own decisions. The girl is even unsure if she wants water with her drink. â€Å"We want two Anis del Toro.† â€Å"With water?† â€Å"I don’t know,† the girl said. â€Å"Is it good with water?† (Hemingway 19-21) Marsh 2 In the previous lines you can see the girl is skeptical. She is waiting for reassurance from the American. â€Å"The Huffington Post† featured an article which came from a study conducted by the University of Texas. Students observed the behavior of boys and girls in a room and how they responded to social cues. Each child was left alone with his mother and were told by their mothers not to touch a forbidden object. The boys not only touched the object more frequently than girls but they ignored the mother’s voice telling them no when they picked up the forbidden object. The girls touch the object less frequently and when they did they often looked at their mother for reassurance. The boys rarely paid attent... ... comforting the girl and telling her to come in the shade. This is him protecting her and giving the girl security which she doesn’t have on her own. The train finally arrives which seems to have been what the girl wanted because she did not wish to discuss the topic anymore. Marsh 7 Works Cited: Zweig, Robert. â€Å"Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing†: Hills are Like White Elephants(1927) Tenth Edition. Pearson Education 2004. 350-353. Print. Biddle, Tabby. â€Å"The Huffington Post† : Why Do Women Feel They Need Permission? Jan 30,2009 Hoplock, Lisa â€Å"Science of Relationships†: How You Doin’? Self-Esteem Affects How People Flirt (2014) www.scienceofrelationships.com