The Woman Figure in Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" and "Hills Like White Elephants"

The woman figure in Ernest Hemingway’s “Cat in the Rain” and “Hills Like White Elephants” are both different and similar. The wives in both short stories are dealing with issues regarding pregnancy and babies. In “Cat in the Rain,” the wife has a strong desire to have her own baby from the very start. However, initially, the wife in “Hills Like White Elephants” has her doubts and does not seem to want to have the baby that she is carrying as seen through her comment that the hills “look like white elephants.” The women in both stories are also traveling and visiting different places. Both wives seem to enjoy traveling but the wife in “Cat in the Rain” wants more out of life. Her comments that she wants longer hair, a cat sitting on her lap, candles, her own set of silverware, and new clothes show that she is unsatisfied with life. Her strong statements near the end that she wants a cat immediately demonstrate her extreme yearning for a child and a different life. This can be contrasted to the wife in “Hills Like White Elephants” because she seems to be lamenting the change that the birth of her child will bring about in her life and her relationship. She believes that they won’t be able to travel the world as much and that their love for each other will deteriorate. She is more resistant to change than the wife in “Cat in the Rain.” However, both women characterize very similar ways of thinking and expression. In contrast to the direct, rational, and literal way in which the husbands communicate, the wives use a more metaphorical and figurative approach. They use phrases and symbols to indicate their thoughts and wants instead of plainly stating it. For example, the cat in “Cat in the Rain” symbolizes a baby for the wife and the phrase “hills like white elephants” are a metaphor for the pregnancy of “Jig.” Both women strive to gain the attention of their husbands to feel loved and get them to figure out how they are feeling. Jig uses subtle phrases and tries to get her husband to recognize how “bright” her comparison of the mountains to the white elephants was. The other wife tries to get her husband’s opinion on her hair and tell him all of the things that she wants. In addition, both wives seem to be in decaying relationships. As mentioned before, the wife in “Cat in the Rain” seems to want a different and new life and the wife in “Hills Like White Elephants” believes that if she does not abort, her relationship will be destroyed. However, the relationship in “Cat in the Rain” also displays some frailty because of the husband’s inattentiveness. Furthermore, the padrone giving her the cat represents another option and another life for the wife. Overall, towards the end of “Hills Like White Elephants,” the wife indicates that although she rejected the idea at first, she is considering having the baby, as shown by her final words, “There is nothing wrong with me. I feel fine.” Therefore, at the end of each story, both women are in a position where they desire newborns.